The Montenegrin water polo team will face Greece in the matchup for 5th place, concluding their campaign at the European Championship.

This will mark yet another confrontation with a prominent national team for Vladimir Gojković and his squad. Throughout their journey, including the group stage in Dubrovnik and the knockout rounds in Zagreb, they have faced three top contenders: Spain, Croatia, and Italy.

In only one of these encounters did the “sharks” struggle significantly—against Italy in the quarter-finals, where the weaknesses of the national team were starkly evident…

Italy triumphed 14:8, extending their winning streak in previous matches against Montenegro. Today’s opponent, the Greeks, also have a strong historical record against Montenegro, having not lost in major competitions since the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.

This past summer’s World Cup in Fukuoka saw them almost secure a win when they faced off in the quarter-finals. Later, they reached the final, only to be bested by Hungary by five goals.

“We are up against the world vice-champions, who are not performing at the same level as they did in Fukuoka here. It’s mid-season, so fatigue is likely. However, the Greeks seem well-rounded, particularly as they’ve been strengthened with the return of Vlahopoulos,” stated Gojković.

A victory would hold significant weight for our team, as Montenegro has only once placed fifth in its history—in Zagreb in 2013.

“This is a challenging match for 5th place against a top team, presenting us with an opportunity to strive for victory and demonstrate progress,” Gojković remarked, emphasizing the importance of such matches.

Moreover, Gojković discussed the challenging group awaiting the “sharks” at the upcoming World Cup starting on February 5, which includes Serbia, the USA, and Japan. The group’s best team will proceed to the quarter-finals, while the second and third place teams will enter playoffs for top-eight placement.

“We’ve drawn a tough group, the only one where all four teams have championship aspirations. There’s little time before the World Cup—just a few days to recuperate before training begins—and we need to be in top form from the outset,” Gojković said.

Vlado Popadić, who made his return to the team against Germany after a two-match suspension, hopes to bid farewell to Zagreb on a high note.

“While the result may not be crucial, as we know our World Cup group in Doha, a win would greatly boost our morale. We stumbled in the match against Italy, but now we face another top-tier team. We’re aware of the Greeks’ vulnerabilities and believe we can exploit them to finish the European Championship in 5th place,” Popadić affirmed.

In the group stage, the Greeks suffered a heavy loss to Italy, followed by a win over Hungary, but they encountered difficulties in the quarter-finals against Croatia, who displayed stellar defense.

“I admire Montenegro’s playing style and appreciate Vlado Gojković’s approach. They are a youthful team that fights for every attack, every defense, and every possession. Though they expended considerable energy in the group, they made it difficult to win, so we’ll need to maintain our focus throughout,” remarked Greek coach Teodoros Vlahos.

The day’s initial match sees Serbia take on Romania for 7th place at 15:00, with Hungary clashing with Italy for the bronze at 16:30.

The final match-up features Croatia and Spain at 20:15, where the new European champion will earn a spot at the Olympic Games in Paris.

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