Serbia men's national water polo team

The Serbia men's national water polo team represents Serbia in international water polo competitions and is controlled by the Water Polo Association of Serbia. They have won gold medals in the Olympics, World and European Championships, World Cup, FINA World League, Mediterranean Games and Universiade, making them one of the most successful men's water polo teams in the world.

Serbia
FINA codeSRB
Nickname(s)Делфини / Delfini
(The Dolphins)
AssociationWater Polo Association of Serbia
ConfederationLEN (Europe)
Head coachUroš Stevanović
Asst coachDarko Bilić
Stefan Ćirić
CaptainNikola Jakšić
Most capsDejan Savić (444)
Top scorer(s)Aleksandar Šapić (981)
FINA ranking (since 2008)
Current3 (as of 9 August 2021)
Highest1 (2009–2011, 2014–2019)
Lowest4 (2013)
Olympic Games (team statistics)
Appearances6 (first in 1996)
Best result (2016, 2020)
World Championship
Appearances14 (first in 1998)
Best result (2005, 2009, 2015)
World Cup
Appearances9 (first in 1997)
Best result (2006, 2010, 2014)
World League
Appearances18 (first in 2003)
Best result (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019)
European Championship
Appearances13 (first in 1997)
Best result (2001, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)
Europa Cup
Appearances2 (first in 2018)
Best result4th (2018)
Mediterranean Games
Appearances6 (first in 1997)
Best result (1997, 2009, 2018, 2022)
Media
Websitewaterpoloserbia.org

They are Serbia's most successful national team, having won more titles than all other Serbian national teams combined.[1] In 2016, they became the first team to hold titles in all five existing major championships: European Championship, World Championship, World Cup, World League and Olympic Games simultaneously.[2]

Competitive record

Medals

Includes matches of Serbia and Montenegro and Serbia.

Updated after the 2022 Mediterranean Games

CompetitionTotal
Olympic Games 2136
World Championship 3238
World Cup 3025
World League 121114
European Championship 72110
Europa Cup 0000
Mediterranean Games 4015
Summer Universiade 4127
Total3571355

Olympic Games

Year[3] Position
1936 to 1988part of SFR Yugoslavia
as  FR Yugoslavia
1992 Barcelonasuspended
1996 Atlanta8th
2000 Sydney
as  Serbia and Montenegro
2004 Athens
as  Serbia
2008 Beijing
2012 London
2016 Rio de Janeiro
2020 Tokyo
2024 Parisqualified
2028 Los Angelesfuture events
2032 Brisbane

World Championship

Year[3] Position
1973 to 1991part of SFR Yugoslavia
as  FR Yugoslavia
1994 Romesuspended
1998 Perth
2001 Fukuoka
as  Serbia and Montenegro
2003 Barcelona
2005 Montreal
as  Serbia
2007 Melbourne4th
2009 Rome
2011 Shanghai
2013 Barcelona7th
2015 Kazan
2017 Budapest
2019 Gwangju5th
2022 Budapest5th
2023 Fukuoka4th
2024 Doha6th
2025 Kallangfuture events
2027 Budapest

World Cup

Year[3] Position
1979 to 1991part of SFR Yugoslavia
as  FR Yugoslavia
1993 Athenssuspended
1995 Atlantadid not participate
1997 Athens7th
1999 Sydney5th
2002 Belgrade
as  Serbia and Montenegro
2006 Budapest
as  Serbia
2010 Oradea
2014 Almaty
2018 Berlin
2023 Los Angeles7th

World League

Year[3] Position
as  FR Yugoslavia
2002 Patrasdid not participate
as  Serbia and Montenegro
2003 New York4th
2004 Long Beach
2005 Belgrade
2006 Athens
as  Serbia
2007 Berlin
2008 Genoa
2009 Podgorica
2010 Niš
2011 Florence
2012 Almatydid not participate
2013 Chelyabinsk
2014 Dubai
2015 Bergamo
2016 Huizhou
2017 Ruza
2018 Budapestpreliminary round
2019 Belgrade
2020 Tbilisipreliminary round
2022 Strasbourg5th

European Championship

Year Position
1950 to 1991part of SFR Yugoslavia
as  FR Yugoslavia
1993 Sheffieldsuspended
1995 Viennadid not participate
1997 Seville
1999 Florence7th
2001 Budapest
as  Serbia and Montenegro
2003 Kranj
as  Serbia
2006 Belgrade
2008 Malaga
2010 Zagreb
2012 Eindhoven
2014 Budapest
2016 Belgrade
2018 Barcelona
2020 Budapest5th
2022 Split9th
2024 Dubrovnik and Zagreb7th
2026 Belgradefuture event

Europa Cup

Year Position
2018 Rijeka4th
2019 Zagreb6th

Mediterranean Games

Year Position
1959 to 1991part of SFR Yugoslavia
as  FR Yugoslavia
1993 Languedoc-Roussillonsuspended
1997 Bari
2001 Tunis4th
as  Serbia and Montenegro
2005 Almeria
as  Serbia
2009 Pescara
2013 Tunis6th
2018 Tarragona
2022 Oran
2026 Tarantofuture event

Team

Current squad

Roster for the 2024 World Championships.[4]

Head coach: Uroš Stevanović

Coaches

Most appearances and goals

Professional friendly and competitive matches only where Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro and now Serbia were represented.

Name Years Matches Goals
1Dejan Savić1994–2008444405
2Aleksandar Šapić1997–2008385981
3Filip Filipović2003–2021381677
4Živko Gocić2003–2016362207
5Slobodan Nikić2003–2016355354
6Igor Milanović1984–1996349540
7Aleksandar Ćirić1997–2008346201
8Vladimir Vujasinović1990–2008341391
9Duško Pijetlović2005–2021340472
10Andrija Prlainović2005–2021336541

Statistics accurate as of matches played 6 August 2021

Philanthropy

On 25 December 2011, Serbia's water polo team was included in a humanitarian action "Bitka za Bebe" ("the Battle for the Babies") playing an exhibition match with the team of the Faculty of Organizational Sciences (FON), in Belgrade. Before the Serbian water polo team had joined the action, many other athletes were included. Among them was the world number one in tennis at that time, Novak Djokovic, football and basketball players of Red Star Belgrade, and many others. Proceeds from the ticket sales went to fund "Bitka za Bebe" and enough money was successfully raised to purchase one incubator.

See also

References

  1. "Vaterpolo Srbija - Serbia Water Polo: Osvojene medalje".
  2. "Rulers of all competitions". b92.net. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  3. "HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics" (PDF). fina.org. FINA. September 2019. pp. 4, 14, 25, 40, 48. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  4. "21st World Aquatics World Championships Men's Water Polo Team Roster SRB" (PDF). Omega Timing. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
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