Tuesday marks the final day of the European Water Polo Championship, and the Montenegrin water polo team is set for their penultimate match at the tournament.

Starting at 18:30:45, they will compete against Greece for fifth place, followed an hour later by the championship showdown between Croatia and Spain, which will determine the champion and a direct entry to the Olympic Games.

The “Sharks” have only secured fifth place once in the history of European championships—an occurrence back in 2013 in Zagreb when the placement left much to be desired, as the national team was among the favored contenders for a medal.

Now, 13 and a half years later, there were hopes that Montenegro might contend for an award that has eluded them since January 2020, but it seems they are still a long way from achieving that goal.

Against Greece, the national team has an opportunity to conclude the tournament on a positive note.

“We faced Greece in the quarter-finals in Fukuoka; they are the current world vice-champions, and their performance here has not been at the same level as during the summer. It’s the middle of the season, so fatigue may be a factor, but it’s fair to say the Greeks are strong in all positions, especially with Vlahopoulos back,” stated coach Vladimir Gojković.

A victory would signify a substantial boost for our team.

“This is a tough match for fifth place against a formidable opponent, and it’s an opportunity to attempt to beat them and make notable progress in this match, as games like this hold significant meaning,” Gojković added.

Gojković also commented on the challenging group awaiting the “Sharks” at the World Cup, starting February 5, which includes Serbia, the United States, and Japan.

“We’ve landed in a difficult group—the only one in the tournament where all four teams have serious ambitions. There’s not much time before the World Cup; we’ll only have a few days of rest before starting preparations, and we need to be in top form right from the World Cup’s onset,” Gojković explained.

Vlado Popadić expressed a desire for Montenegro to exit Zagreb on a high note.

“While the match might not carry the same importance in terms of results, given our group at the World Cup in Doha, a victory would be significantly beneficial for us psychologically. We stumbled against Italy, but now we face another elite team. We understand Greece’s weaknesses, and I am confident we can exploit them and aim for fifth place in the European Championship,” Popadić remarked.

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