The peak of water polo in Herceg Novi occurred at the turn of the millennium, with the legendary Petar Porobić assembling a fantastic Jadran team that reached the Champions League finals in 2004 and was crowned as the champion of Serbia and Montenegro.

During this period, key players like Vladimir Gojković, Boris Zloković, Predrag Jokić, Miloš Šćepanović, along with captain Veselin Krivokapić, goalkeeper Denis Šefik, and Ištvan Mesaroš, alongside promising talents like Aleksandar Ivović and Andrija Prlainović, truly made their mark.

One standout player from this era was Belgrade native Vanja Udovicic, who joined from Partizan and reflected on his time in the Montenegrin bay during the show “Failure of Champions.”

“I had a fantastic season in 2003/04 in Herceg Novi; we played the Champions League final against Hungary’s Honved – we lost 7:6, but coming from a small club in a less recognized environment was still a huge deal,” Udovicic recalled.

The small-town environment left a lasting impression on him.

“Living in Herceg Novi taught me valuable life lessons, as it’s a completely different atmosphere than Belgrade. You realize the lifestyle by the coast and reflect on the wise words of my roommate’s father – you must be mindful of where you’re headed and how you’ll navigate through it,” Udovicic shared on the show hosted by former handball player Mirza Dzomba.

He compared life between Belgrade and Herceg Novi.

“I was accustomed to the vibrancy of a city with two million people, where everything from cinemas to discos was at my fingertips. In Herceg Novi, that was absent, but the community’s approach to training is refreshing and molds you into a dedicated athlete,” explained the accomplished water polo player, who won the Champions League with Pro Rek, became a world and European champion with the national team, and was recognized as the best water polo player globally in 2010.

Petar Porobić’s influence was significant in shaping his career.

“I trained under the late Petar Porobić, an exceptional coach who was also the second coach for the Yugoslav national team at that time. He conducted extensive training sessions that, while sometimes tedious, ensured that in moments of difficulty, we instinctively knew how to position ourselves defensively… This captures the essence of our water polo style, which derives knowledge from that training,” Udovicic emphasized.

After suffering a loss to Honved in the Champions League final held in Budapest, he gained a new sports motivation.

“In 2004, I faced defeat in both the Champions League final and the Olympic Games against Hungary. I resolved that I wouldn’t let that happen again. The following year, we triumphed over them in the World Championship final,” he recounted.

He also addressed the pathway to joining the FR Yugoslavia national team.

“At that time, as in old Yugoslavia, there was a requisite number of players from Montenegro. Their quality is undeniable; those players are exceptionally talented. However, when you have many superior players, the selection nuances become critical, and Montenegro had considerable representation, leading to a heavier presence of Montenegrins compared to Serbs among younger players. While the older players balanced it out somewhat, as younger athletes, we faced challenges in securing spots on the national team,” he reflected. Udovicic currently serves as the vice-president of the European Water Sports Federation.

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