The European Water Polo Championship for players under 20 years of age will be held in Varna (Bulgaria) from 10 to 16 August, in which the Serbian national team will also participate. 16 national teams are participating in the championship, which will compete in four groups in the first phase. Our country’s national team, led by coach Miloš Korolija, will play in Group B in the preliminary phase with the national teams of Spain, Germany and Montenegro. The first-placed teams from all groups will directly qualify for the quarterfinals after 3 rounds, while the third- and fourth-placed national teams will play for a place in the quarterfinals. All matches will be played in the swimming pool of the Primorski sports complex, located on the South Beach, on the Black Sea coast.
The Serbian national team U20 at the European Championship will feature the following lineup:
1. Savić Viktor (C. Zvezda)
2. Kosanović Mateja (Košutnjak)
3. Krstic Strahinja (USC)
4. Čonkić Vuk (Partizan)
5. Lazić Novak (Šabac)
6. Mićanović Petar (Šabac)
7. Adamovic Uros (Partizan)
8. Novaković Filip (Šabac)
9. Canepa Luigi (Partizan)
10. Papić Pavle (Košutnjak)
11. Bodiroga Costa (Partizan)
12. Kojic Vuk (Fordham)
13. Nešković Strahinja (Partizan)
14. Djokanovic Miljan (Partizan)
15. Vasilije Pakashki (Wolves)
Expert staff:
1. Miloš Korolija – coach
2. Miodrag Đurđević – assistant coach
3. Luka Petić – goalkeeper coach
4. Sergey Shveljo – fitness coach
5. Dragana Ivković – physiotherapist
Schedule of matches in the first phase of the competition:
Monday, August 10, 20:45, Spain – Serbia
Tuesday, August 11, 1:30 PM, Germany – Serbia
Wednesday, August 12, 1:30 p.m., Montenegro – Serbia
In the past period, the U20 national team has been preparing in Serbia and Hungary and has participated in preparatory tournaments in Szolnok and Belgrade, where Miloš Korolija’s players have played excellent games and indicated their highest achievements at the upcoming European Championship.
Miloš Korolija, Serbia coach:
“We have worked well in the past weeks and are ready to await the start of the championship. Unfortunately, one of our best players, Luka Gladović, was injured a few days ago and will not play in the championship due to a broken leg. We wish him a speedy and successful recovery and there is no doubt that we will play for him as well. I believe in these guys and I think we can justify the expectations, which are always high. Our opponent will be the Spanish national team in the first round and we must enter that match with maximum concentration.”
