Despite needing a strong motive, the Montenegrin water polo players faced disappointment against a laid-back Italy.

The “Sharks” could not overcome “Setebelo” (10:6) in the playoff for 5th to 8th place at the World Championship in Fukuoka, losing their final opportunity to qualify for the upcoming World Cup in Doha next year.

“This situation should be analyzed—how a team like Italy, the world vice-champion, ended up fighting for a 5th to 8th place finish. They were better today, and I congratulate them,” remarked head coach Vladimri Gojković after the match.

Gojković also noted that it seemed the previous four games had taken a toll on his players.

“If we had played an adrenaline-fueled semifinal, perhaps we would have had more energy. But today, we were physically outmatched. It’s possible that the officiating allowed the Italians to press hard throughout the pool. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t complain about that,” Gojković added.

Montenegro has one more match to secure seventh place against the loser of the USA versus France duel.

“I hope we can recover—both physically and mentally—since seventh place is significant for us, especially for players who have never finished seventh in the world,” Gojković concluded.

Vidović: If the result didn’t come now, I’m confident it will in future competitions

Stefan Vidović anticipated a challenging match…

“We knew it would be very tough, as I believe Italy is among the top two teams in the world. We entered the game emotionally and physically drained, gave it our all, and we can take pride in that. However, our performance wasn’t at the level of previous games. Still, it’s a significant learning experience,” Vidović stated.

Despite the loss to Italy, he remains optimistic about his teammates’ abilities.

“I mentioned before the tournament started that this team has the quality and potential. They demonstrated that. If the results didn’t come now, I’m confident they will in the next competition,” Vidović concluded.

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