Jadran M:tela water polo players will face their opponents in the Champions League at the swimming pool in Trebinje, rather than in Herceg Novi.

The reason for this change is the lack of an appropriate pool in Herceg Novi that fulfills the organizational requirements set by the European Water Sports Association, particularly regarding adequate TV transmission space, lighting, and other essential facilities that the balloon pool at Škver cannot provide.

“Following our team’s impressive performance at the qualification tournament for the European Champions League in Dubrovnik and securing a spot among the 16 best teams in Europe, we are once again confronted with the same issue as last year—the Jadran m:tel water polo players do not have access to an adequate swimming pool in their city that meets the European water sports organizational requirements including sufficient space for TV broadcasts, lighting, and necessary facilities not available at the inflatable pool in Škver,” stated the Jadran administration’s announcement.

The management of the team from Herceg Novi highlights that despite water polo being the most decorated sport in Montenegro, the country’s swimming pool infrastructure is deteriorating rapidly.

“Since the roof structure of the Igalo Institute swimming pool collapsed in July 2021, Herceg Novi has lacked a functional winter facility for three consecutive years. Kotor has been without a swimming pool for five full years, and the Nikšić pool has been closed for over six months with no clear indication of when it will reopen,” they noted.

According to the Novljani, they are also facing challenges due to swimming pools in Montenegro charging fees for their services. For instance, last year in Podgorica, the club incurred charges for additional training before the Cup final on a day when the Herceg Novi pool was unusable due to adverse weather conditions.

“Due to the high costs associated with organizing Champions League matches at swimming pools in Montenegro, where our club would have to cover all pool usage fees for both training and matches in addition to other significant organizational expenses, this year we will host three Champions League group stage matches in Trebinje. There, we received tremendous support from local authorities, who acknowledged the significance of the event and the opportunity to promote the city, and provided us with all necessary conditions for training and official European Champions League matches at no cost. Despite the challenges, we remain hopeful that Montenegro’s sports infrastructure will improve in line with the successes of our water polo teams and clubs, ultimately fostering better conditions for the advancement of Montenegrin water polo,” they added from Jadran.

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