“LOST HIS MOTHER IN THE THIRD GRADE, I’M CONVINCED HE PLAYED FOR HER”: A teacher reveals the emotional life story of goalkeeper Milan Glušac, who led us to gold!

The goalkeeper of the Serbian national water polo team and the new darling of the nation, Milan Glušac, was one of the key figures on our country’s path to gold at the European Championship.

The players of head coach Uroš Stevanović defeated their great rival Hungary 10:7 last night in front of a packed Arena, and even when Serbia struggled in attack against an excellent team, Glušac did not allow the Hungarians to close the gap and equalize.

He thus earned the loudest applause during the team presentation, as well as chants of “MVP,” and his path to the title of “hero of the nation” was far from easy.

As revealed by Katarina Stevanović, a physics teacher at the Sports High School in Belgrade, which Glušac attended, he lost his mother while he was in the third grade.

“Milan Glušac is a child who is the moral winner of the water polo tournament. He lost his mother in the third grade of Sports High School and continued to train even better and stronger. I am convinced that he played for her. Glory to God for such children!” said Katarina, who also taught his teammates Dušan Mandić and Vasilije Martinović.

Development path

The Serbian public wondered: who is Milan Glušac? Until now less known in the media, and thus among the people as well. Milan Glušac has been guarding the goal for Novi Beograd for two years now. He is 23 years old and one of the most talented Serbian water polo goalkeepers, alongside the year-older Vladimir Mišović.

Milan Glušac began swimming and playing water polo in childhood, first through a swimming school and then the Partizan water polo academy. During his development, he was especially helped by goalkeeper coaches Nikola Radojčić and later Aleksandar Šoštar, who influenced his move to Novi Beograd.

Shone in the Champions League

Milan Glušac is the first-choice goalkeeper of Novi Beograd and is increasingly confirming his role as a team leader. He performs excellently in the Regional League and the Champions League. He was the hero in Novi Beograd’s victory over Barceloneta in the Champions League, saving a penalty in the shootout, which secured his club a place in the final of Europe’s elite competition. He also shone in matches against strong rivals, including Olympiacos, with a large number of saves.

In his free time, Milan Glušac enjoys traveling, and football seems to be one of his favorite sports. He enjoys nature, and during the summer he goes rafting on the Drina and Tara rivers.

As for his style of play and reputation, Milan Glušac is considered a technically sound and reliable goalkeeper, capable of making big saves in crucial moments. Since he is young, he is still developing his own identity and experience, but experts see great potential for his future in the Serbian national team.

“It is an honor and a pleasure for me to be with these guys, as I said in the preview. This is just one step toward our goal, which is the final,” Milan Glušac said after the victory over Spain.

After the first triumph against Hungary, he also remained modest.

“I wouldn’t say it like that because everyone played as they should, thanks to the crowd and us. We knew what to expect from the Hungarians. Now we are preparing for Montenegro. We are going into the semifinals, that was our goal as we said at the beginning. The name of the opponent is not important to us. Whoever it is, we are ready to reach the final. God willing, there will be a gold medal.”

He then compared the matches against Spain and Hungary.

“I think we were just more aggressive against Hungary. From match to match we will be even more aggressive. The defense is working as it should. This was a tougher match than the one against Spain, the Hungarians are better swimmers. We knew what to expect.”

He then touched on his debut appearance at the European Championship.

“It couldn’t have been better. Still, we go match by match.”

He was emotional after winning the gold as well.

“An incredible feeling, emotions overwhelmed me. We came to win the European Championship and that’s it. Against everyone, against the referees… I would like to thank everyone who stood by us, only we know what we went through. We played without Ćuk, Mandić,” he said, then reflected on the ovations he received from the crowd and the fact that he did not take home the MVP trophy:

“It doesn’t matter that I didn’t win it, the only thing that matters is that we won first place, and as for the crowd, what can I say, it truly is an honor and a privilege. There are no words I could use to thank the crowd.”

Finally, he sent a message that resonates and proves what a champion he is.

“You have to prove yourself day by day, tomorrow this is already history, a new proving ground and we move on,” concluded Milan Glušac, the hero of Serbia.