The turbulent days in Serbian water polo could be behind us now that the Serbian national team has received a new head coach.
After Slobodan Soro took over the management of the federation, Uroš Stevanović resigned, so that afterwards the vast majority of the national team players gave up on playing for the national team following the inappropriate words of the new president.
This stirred up passions in the trophy-winning Serbian sport, and now we have an epilogue when it comes to the position of the head coach. Coming to that position is the legendary Vladimir Vujasinović, one of the best water polo players of all time.
This practically means that in the conflict between the majority of the players and former head coach Uroš Stevanović on one side and the current of Aleksandar Šapić on the other, the legendary Vujas has, at least indirectly, sided with the mayor of Belgrade. It remains to be seen how the players who withdrew from the national team will react.
We transmit the announcement of the Water Polo Federation of Serbia in its entirety.
“The Water Polo Federation of Serbia informs the public that our celebrated athlete and former national team captain, Vladimir Vujasinović, has become the new head coach of the men’s national team of Serbia.
One of the most prominent players in the history of Serbian and world water polo has a rich career behind him, both playing and coaching.
Vujasinović was the captain of the national team and one of the pillars of the generation that won numerous medals at major competitions for years and which, after the period of embargo and sanctions in the nineties, began to clear and pave the way for Serbian water polo toward all major successes and the very top of the world. It remained written in golden letters in the history of the most trophy-winning Serbian team sport.
As a player, he performed for Primorje, Crvena zvezda, Barcelona, Partizan, Roma, and Pro Recco, winning 37 club trophies, including four Euroleagues, while with the national team at major competitions he won four golds (World Championship 2005, European Championships 2001, 2003, 2006), as well as four silver and four bronze medals each. In 2001, he was declared the best water polo player in the world.
Upon the completion of his playing career, he successfully worked as a coach at Partizan, Pro Recco, Novi Beograd, and the Greek Vouliagmeni. He was a member of the coaching staff of the Serbian national team as an assistant to head coach Dejan Savić during the most trophy-winning period, when gold medals were won at the Olympic Games (2016), the World Championship (2015), the European Championships (2014 and 2016), as well as the World Leagues (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016).
We are convinced that Vujasinović, with his authority, knowledge, and attitude toward the national team, will contribute to the further development and achievement of the highest goals in the coming period.
The Water Polo Federation of Serbia welcomes Vladimir Vujasinović to the position of head coach of the Serbian national team, whose arrival represents an important moment for the national team and Serbian water polo.
In addition to Vujasinović, for now, the coaching staff of the Serbian national team will consist of: coaches – Miloš Korolija, Sergej Šveljo, doctors – Đorđe Ivančević, Goran Lončar, physiotherapist – Dragan Parandilović.
The first gathering of the Serbian national team will take place on June 16 in Belgrade, when preparations will officially begin for the Mediterranean Games, which will be held at the end of August in Italy.”
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Source: Nova.rs; Photo: ATA Images