Facing one Croatian giant, Jadran m:tel secured their spot in the Champions League; now they will kick off the new season of the Regional Premier League in water polo against another giant.

Today, at 18:15, Novljani will host Mladost from Zagreb in Škver, marking the official return of the classic league competition in the regional setting.

The “Zagreb Bears” assembled an impressive team this season, aiming for a Champions League run; however, due to an unfortunate oversight (failing to register a player) and a remarkable comeback by Radnički from Kragujevac, they missed out on elite status.

– They have signed ten players – all national team members. We have observed their gameplay; they perform well, even though they didn’t qualify for the Champions League, they put up a strong fight in the qualifiers, said Vasilije Radović, a key player for the Adriatic.

The Mladost roster includes strong players like Luka Bukić, Ivan Marcelić, Josip Vrlić, Matias Biljaka, Konstantin Kharkiv, Franko Lazic, Ante Vukičević, and Ivan Buljubasic. They pose numerous threats to the Adriatic team.

– We need to be vigilant about their counterattacks, as they excel at entering the high “m zone,” aiming for the opponent to make mistakes, shoot hastily, or deliver bad passes, creating opportunities for fast breaks. I would highlight Bukić as their fastest player, Radović warned.

Jadran also boasts its own strengths, having bolstered their squad and demonstrated solid shape against Jug in Dubrovnik during the Champions League qualifiers.

– Mladost’s style is reminiscent of the Southern teams; we must maintain composure to avoid conceding easy goals from their counterattacks, Radović added.

The Premier League challenges commence just five days after the Champions League qualifying tournament, where Novljani competed for four consecutive days.

– It wasn’t easy to recover after the tournament, and we are still feeling fatigued; however, we managed to rest and prepare. This season, in terms of preparation, has never been better. We have incorporated gym and swimming coaches, and Vladimir Gojkovic is on the bench. I believe we are ready for this match and that fatigue won’t be an issue following the tournament in Dubrovnik, Radović concluded.

The regional league will once again follow a league format after previously shifting to tournament-style competitions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which continued until this season.

Montenegro will be represented by two teams in the Premier League – Primorac will kick off the new season with a challenging away match against Novi Belgrade on Saturday.

A new development for our country is the addition of three clubs in the Regional A1 League (the second tier) – alongside Budva and Kataro, Budućnost will also join this season. Matches in this league start on October 12.

Premier League, Round 1

Today

Jadran m:tel – Mladost (18:15 p.m.)

Saturday

Jadran ST – Valis (18:00)

South – Šabac (19:00)

New Belgrade – Primorac (19:45)

C. star – Solari (20:00)

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