The year that brings the three biggest water polo competitions will be a big challenge for all national teams, and Croatia does not want to leave anything to chance.
That country has already taken over the organization of the European Championship (January 2024) from Israel's Netanya, on which, in addition to the crown, tickets for the World Championship in Doha (February) and the Olympic Games in Paris (July-August) will be chasing, and it is getting stronger for two big trump cards .
One of the best centers in Europe, Luka Lončar, and the legendary left-handed master Maro Joković are returning to the Croatian national team after two and a half years, coach Ivica Tucak announced for Sportske novosti.
And while Lončar will play in all three major competitions, Joković's return is expected if Croatia qualifies for the Olympic Games.
"I can immediately announce that we will return Lončar to the national team. We talked, he is eager to cooperate, he wants to come back, I think he can help us," said Tucak.
However, even in the case of Joković, there may be changes...
"We have reached an agreement to make him available for the OI, which I believe we will qualify for. Possibly even for the WC in Doha, but we left that open. The plan was for him to rest well, 'skip' the EP, but I will contact him again considering the new circumstances, since the EP will be played in Croatia, that it is still something special," added Tucak.
Croatia will be Montenegro's rival in the European Championship, and apart from them, the group that will be played in Dubrovnik also consists of Spain and France.
From the water polo Euro, the European champion or the best placed team in the tournament after Hungary, Greece and France, who already have visas for Paris, will advance to the Olympic Games.
The three best teams from the European Championship go to the World Championship in Doha, and the Hungarians, Greeks, Spaniards, Serbs, Italians and French have already secured that right from the European selections.
At the championship in the capital of Qatar, four remaining tickets for the OI in Paris will be distributed.
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