On the day of the great Christian holiday of Christmas, the water polo players settled into Hotel M, the old base they used ten years ago, also at the European Championships. In the evening, the first training session was held in the impressive Arena, and this training session was also used to meet with media representatives.
The interlocutors were coach Uroš Stevanović, captain Nikola Jakšić, Dušan Mandić and Strahinja Rašović.
We note the most interesting parts of their answers:
– We are finishing preparations. We had problems, Jakšić and Mandić only played two matches at the end of the club season. They are in training, they are not the most prepared, but we hope they will show what they can do. The new system is certainly fairer because it avoids the tension of the quarter-finals that followed us from Tokyo to Paris. Now you have no right to make a mistake, with one defeat you can depend on others. We must not underestimate the Netherlands at the start. They beat the Croats, they led for three quarters against the Hungarians. We are the favorites there and then we turn to Spain, who showed the most with the Hungarians at the World Cup in Singapore. That result is important because of the schedule in the second round where we are waiting for Montenegro, Hungary and France. It is nice that we are playing in Belgrade. I was a fan in 2006, then Dejan Savić’s assistant in 2016. We always put pressure on ourselves, but I hope that now we will have the support of a full stadium so that we can show the quality we have. – said coach Uroš Stevanović.
– The injury is behind me, it doesn’t matter what condition I’m in. I broke through and I want to fight for my country. The arena is different, but there are good emotions for 2016. There is a will and desire to finish like then. The competition is such that six teams want gold, eight want a medal. The new system prioritizes every match. It’s more interesting to watch, but there’s no right to make a mistake. And one defeat can theoretically knock you out of the semifinals. The Netherlands is important, but if we beat Spain too, it would mean a lot. It’s a privilege to play in Belgrade, a huge boost and that will be a tailwind. We have to work hard from the start. We are each other’s biggest support – said Dušan Mandić.
Strahinja Rašović said:
– The head will decide. If it is in place, if we turn the Arena into pleasure, we will look so much better. I want us to finally be healthy. We are finally complete. There were good and bad moments in the matches. We know each other well, if we are freer in attack, the defense will be as it should be. The system is tougher than before. In the first six matches, barely one mistake can happen. In the second group, every match is a quarter-final, there must be no mistakes. For us and for everyone .
Captain Nikola Jakšić has been injured for a long time.
– I’m better than before. It’s not quite right yet, but I believe that in time everything will be fine. We have time to get a feel for the pool, which is an advantage. The new system doesn’t allow for any mistakes, I hope there won’t be any. I’m glad that the Netherlands are the first opponent, it will be a real preparation for Spain. I can’t describe to my teammates the atmosphere that awaits them. They will just feel it, for many it is the last big competition at home. I believe that all of this will be an incentive for us, that we will fit in and show how much we can do in a strong competition .
