After over ten years, Montenegro is proud to have two representatives in the water polo Champions League, but both teams will have to wait for their first win—at least until the end of October…

While the first round featured solid performances despite losses, the second round proved to be much less favorable—Primorac faced a tough defeat against Savona in Kotor (18:12), while Jadran Mtel struggled against Barceloneta in Trebinje (16:8).

The Catalan squad is seen as a strong contender for the European championship title, a fact they demonstrated during their match against our vice-champions, who managed to hold their own until early in the third quarter.

– Our strategy was to challenge them at every turn, making them work hard in both attack and defense, and to keep the game as closely contested as possible—stated Jadran defender Aleksandar Ivović.

However, Barceloneta proved too powerful.

– I believe these matches offer our players a chance to grow and learn—there were certainly some positive elements in this aspect. I am confident we can gain valuable insights from each Champions League game and strengthen as a team—Ivović added.

The first two quarters went quite well.

– We aimed to set a more aggressive pace which seemed to work fine until midway through the game. At 4:4, they netted two goals far too easily, which often shifts the momentum in such games—these were two individual errors—said Ivović.

This does not take away from the impressive win of the favored team.

– Before the match, we understood that Barceloneta was the clear favorite—a club expected to reach the finals of this competition. Conversely, our aspirations cannot match theirs—Leka commented.

Kotor, the home of European water polo champions, basked in the return of the Champions League after nearly 14 years, but there was little to celebrate at the “Zoran Džimi Gopčević” swimming pool. Savona scored an impressive 18 goals…

– Allowing such a high number of goals at this level is unacceptable—the coach of Primorac, Vjekoslav Pasković, was clear, adding:

– Perhaps there was some nervousness since this was the first Champions League match in this pool in 14 years, but we truly need to address that area where we performed poorly.

The coach, who led Primorac to a championship title after a long drought, expects improved performances from his players.

– We have several players making their Champions League debuts, but this is merely the start of the season, and I am certain our performance will improve.

Champions League nights have made their long-awaited return to Kotor.

– I have special emotions connected to this pool. The audience has always supported us, and although attendance was limited, I appreciate those who came and encourage them to continue backing these young players—Pasković concluded.

On October 30, Jadran will face Hungarian Vasaš while Primorac is set to play against Sabadelj. Prior to that, both teams from Boka will each have two matches in the regional Premier League.

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