The third time in Belgrade, the 37th overall, and the 10th in which Montenegro will appear - the European Water Polo Championship begins tomorrow at the "Belgrade Arena", a competition that has brought the most joy to our sport since the restoration of independence.
The "Sharks" have won four medals at the Old Continent's championships so far, from their golden debut to Budapest 2020, and interestingly, except for when they became European champions in Malaga during the summer of 2008, all other medals came from tournaments held in January.
Montenegro was gold, silver and bronze, and now some new "sharks", never younger, are dreaming from the shadows of another January to remember.
A new force is born
Everything was somehow symbolic on that July 13, 2008 in hot Andalusia - Montenegro became the European champion on the most glorious date in its history, at the water polo championship where the name of our country appeared for the first time.
“Sharks” Petar Porobić They defeated Spain, Greece, Hungary and Slovakia in the group and, despite losing to Croatia, they qualified directly for the semi-finals. They then took revenge on Croatia, and then in the final against Serbia (6:5) they made Malaga and another July 13th unforgettable.
The greatest success of our water polo and one of the greatest in Montenegrin sport in general, along with Porobić, was signed Miloš Šćepanović, Drasko Brguljan, Vjekoslav Pasković, Nikola Vukcevic, Nikola Janović, Milan Tičić, Mladjan Janović, Veljko Uskokovic, Aleksandar Ivović, Boris Zlokovic, Vladimir Gojkovic, Predrag Jokic, Zdravko Radic i Damjan Danilović.
A new force was born, a generation that could have won perhaps another gold medal, but which certainly directed a few more beautiful stories.
Eindhoven and Belgrade
The medal, through the next six championships, always came from those played in the winter - in Eindhoven 2012, Belgrade 2016 and Budapest 2020, while the summers in Zagreb 2010, Budapest 2014 and Barcelona 2018 remained dry.
The tournament in the Netherlands, four years after Malaga, was the debut for the new coach. Ranko Perović, who previously became European champion with Primorac.
Montenegro lost to Croatia in the group, but defeated everyone else, including Serbia, before reaching the finals via Greece and Hungary and meeting the “dolphins” again. However, our national team failed to win a new crown, as Serbia won in a thrilling match 9:8.
The new medal, again silver, was won again after four years - in January 2016 at the same venue where the competition will be played this year, in the "Belgrade Arena".
The "Sharks" once again had a new coach, Vladimir Gojković, who was assisted by Porobić at the pool.
Throughout the tournament, Montenegro, led by captain Nikola Janović and in the specific ambience of the largest hall in Serbia, played great water polo.
The lessons taught to Italy in the quarter-finals (10:7) and Hungary in the semi-finals (8:5) are remembered, and the impression remains that the new final with Serbia would have had a different course if the referees had been Boris Margeta i Jorgos Stavridis had a more balanced criteria. The home team eventually won 10:8 in front of a record 18.473 spectators and continued the dominance that the current coach of our national team established in those years. Dejan Savic.
The feat from Budapest
And then, as usual, the next medal from the "sharks'" chest shone after four years, this time with the same coach, but with a different shine.
They won bronze, which was a huge success at that time, even with a practically new generation. The “Sharks” eliminated Italy in the quarterfinals at the “Dunav Arena”, put up a worthy fight against the hosts Hungary in the semifinals, and then defeated Croatia in the third-place match (10:9).
It was an epic match in which our national team was twice at minus four, but on the wings of the phenomenal Ivović, as well as the goalkeeper Dejan Lazović, Draška Brguljana, Dragan Drašković and Vladan Spaić achieved a great victory.
The only January that was not crowned with a medal happened two years ago in Dubrovnik and Zagreb, when Montenegro was (too) easily stopped by Italy in the quarterfinals.
Montenegro has been waiting for a medal from any major competition since 2020, now returning to the place of success, but also to the Arena, which is fondly remembered by both the "Sharks" and Dejan Savić.
Bonus video:
