Montenegro Water Polo Team Heads to Italy for European Championship Prep

Montenegro’s national water polo team, known as the “Sharks,” has embarked on a training camp in Naples, Italy, as part of their preparations for the upcoming European Championship. The tournament will take place from January 10 to January 25, 2024, in Belgrade. Under the guidance of head coach Dejan Savić, the team will train, engage in scrimmages, and play an official friendly match against the Italian national team during their stay.

Savić has selected a squad of 16 players for this crucial phase of training. The roster includes notable athletes such as Petar Tešanović, Lazar Andrić, Darko Đurović, Miroslav Perković, and Vladan Spaić. Other team members are Jovan Vujović, Aljoša Mačić, Vasilije Radović, Vlado Popadić, Đuro Radović, Dmitri Holod, Blažo Vučković, Dušan Matković, Marko Mršić, Strahinja Gojković, and Srđan Janović. Notably, Dušan Banićević and Danilo Stupar will miss the training camp due to illness.

The friendly match against Italy is scheduled for Monday, December 29, at 19:00. This encounter will serve as a critical test for the team ahead of the championship. Since the start of their preparations on December 4, the Sharks have already played a practice match against Georgia in Kotor, where they secured a commanding 18-13 victory.

In the European Championship, Montenegro has been placed in Group A, alongside Hungary, France, and Malta. Their first match will be against Malta on January 10, starting at 18:00. Following that, they will face Hungary two days later at 15:15, and conclude the first round against France on January 14 at 18:00. The top three teams from this round will advance to the next phase, where they will compete against the best from Group C, which includes Spain, Israel, Serbia, and the Netherlands. The two leading teams from this segment will secure a place in the semifinals.

As the Sharks gear up for these key matches, their performance in Italy will be essential for building momentum and team cohesion ahead of what promises to be a challenging European Championship.