Stepping into the role of Ratko Rudić’s successor is no small feat; it will be a hefty challenge for whoever takes on that position in the future.

These are the sentiments of Ivica Tucak, who once attempted to convey the difficulties awaiting the Croatian coach after the monumental Rudić, the most celebrated water polo coach, left the “barracudas.”

What Rudić’s former assistant and the coach of Jadran from Herceg Novi did not foresee was that he would soon take on this prestigious yet challenging responsibility…

After Rudić clinched gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Tucak assumed command of the national team.

From day one, Rudić’s shadow loomed large over him, and skepticism grew around the expert from Šibenik, especially after the “Barracuda” failed to snag a title in the first four years under his leadership.

While there were medals (including a bronze from World Championships in 2013), the quarter-final exits at the European Championships (2014 and 2016) and the heart-wrenching losses in the final at the 2016 Olympics and the 2015 World Championships in Kazan were particularly tough…

Nonetheless, Tucak, who has faced personal tragedies (losing his daughter at three and a half years old), has always been resilient, constantly fighting through life’s hurdles without surrender.

A year after losing in the Rio Olympic final, he led Croatia to the pinnacle of the world, right in the heart of water polo on the iconic island of Margitsiget in Budapest. His expertise was officially recognized at that point.

Following that, he guided Croatia to European glory in 2022, starting this year with a stent implantation due to a heart issue (he returned to training the very next day), and eventually led the team to two finals.

First, at the European Championship in Zagreb in January, he settled for the silver medal, only to reclaim the world champion title in Doha just a month later.

The magnitude of this success is highlighted by the fact that Croatia has reached the World Cup finals four times in its history, with Tucak coaching three of those appearances. Overall, the “barracudas” are three-time world champions and secured two titles with the Šibenik-born coach at the helm.

In total, he has brought 16 medals to Croatia—Tucak’s 16, as “Jutarnji list” aptly noted.

What remains for him, like his predecessor, is to finish strong at the magical Olympic Games…

“That’s my life’s desire, as I’ve previously stated. That’s my mission, my journey. I seek Olympic gold and I won’t rest until it’s displayed in my cases. Naturally, I hope it will be with the Croatian national team—that’s my aspiration… the Olympic Games are a dream, and after that, I can retire,” Tucak remarked after his return from Doha.

Rudić: Skepticism Surrounding His Successor

Twelve years into Ivica Tucak’s tenure as Ratko Rudić’s successor, he remains—a figure few initially believed would thrive, yet he has endured considerable trials and achieved extraordinary success.

“It’s hard to determine what I initially expected from Ivica—I anticipated good results, and he has delivered. Despite some skepticism regarding him, he has disproven that narrative. He has demonstrated that he is an exceptional coach capable of winning numerous medals with the national team he crafted,” Rudić shared with Croatian media recently.

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