On July 30, 2013, the Montjuic Olympic hill in Barcelona hosted an intense water polo clash where Montenegro, led by Ranko Perović, triumphed over Serbia with a narrow score of 9:8 in the quarter-finals of the World Championship.

Following this, the tournament was a disaster for Serbia. After facing pressure from his first major competition, head coach Dejan Savić had a battle on his hands.

The coach, who would later take Montenegro under his wing 11 and a half years after that defeat, emerged from the experience as one of the world’s premier water polo authorities – the dominance he exhibited until 2021 is recognized as one of the all-time great sports accomplishments.

The painful defeat of the “sharks” forecasted golden days

The very next year at the European Championship in Budapest, Savić and Serbia found themselves on the brink once more in another match against Montenegro.

In a semi-final match held on the renowned water polo island of Margitsiget, our team was ahead 8:4, but Savić inspired his players to produce a remarkable turnaround, resulting in one of the most agonizing losses for Montenegro (10:9).

This moment felt like a pivotal turning point – Serbia began to grasp its strength, while Savić was gradually proving himself to be an exceptional coach. By the championship’s conclusion, the “dolphins” quieted the “Alfred Hajoš” pool, defeating the host nation Hungary (12:7) in the finals and triggering a victorious streak that no one could halt…

Serbia captured its next gold at the 2015 World Championship in Kazan (where they faced Montenegro in the group stage), and in January 2016, in front of a full house at the Belgrade Arena, they clinched European gold in the final against Montenegro.

This marked the inaugural competition for Savić’s former teammate Vladimir Gojković coaching the “sharks,” raising questions about how the final outcome might have differed if referees Boris Margeta and Jorgos Stavridis had performed better.

Rio and the dream of all generations

Dejan Savić, a remarkable player and top-notch defender, was undoubtedly one of the best in the world during his era. Competing for Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, and later Serbia, he shared the field with many legendary water polo figures, yet regardless of the nation’s name, they bore the weight of Olympic misfortune.

The most coveted gold had eluded them since Seoul 1988, until everything finally clicked in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. While Savić may not have attained Olympic success as a player, he accomplished the feat as a coach and secured the gold medal.

Serbia navigated the group stage, progressing to the quarter-finals in fourth place, and subsequently dominated their opponents all the way through.

Two years later, with Savić at the helm, Serbia claimed the European championship for the third consecutive time, and in 2021, they proudly added an Olympic gold to their collection in Tokyo.

He departed from the Serbian coaching position in 2022 after a round of 17 elimination in the European Championship in Split. Ultimately, the run concluded with an impressive total of medals from annual competitions.

A special relationship with the players

Throughout the years, Savić established himself as one of water polo’s all-time great tacticians, yet he always acknowledged the exceptional talent within his squad.

Alongside him were players who transformed water polo history: Filip Filipović, Duško Pijetlović, Slobodan Nikic, Živko Gocić, Milan Aleksić, Stefan Mitrović, as well as two stars from Montenegro, Andrija Prlainović and Dušan Mandić, among numerous others…

His dedication to the team was on display when Savić attended an award ceremony wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a “dolphin” image and the words: “Thank you.”

This connection is something that could resonate with the Montenegrin national team, as they prepare to embark on a new chapter with a new coach starting in January and the World Cup.

If he achieves even a fraction of the success he had with Serbia, perhaps one day we will witness him joyfully celebrating victory by leaping into the pool.

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