European Champion Visits Kragujevac: Radnički Hosts Ferencváros (20:00)

Tonight at 8:00 PM, with free entry for all visitors, a big Champions League derby will be played in Kragujevac, where Radnički's water polo team will host the current European champion, Hungarian club Ferencváros, led by Serbian national team member Dušan Mandić.

The Hungarian team has kept the core of the squad that won the Champions League in Malta last summer and has even strengthened further, making them the main contender for this season's European title.

– We couldn't have wished for a better opponent for the opening of the Champions League at our home pool. The official European champion is coming to visit, a team that is once again the main favorite for the title this year. I think that at this moment it's the right test for us to see where we stand compared to the best teams. Since the beginning of the season when we qualified for the Champions League through close matches, we have improved our form through matches in the Adriatic League and we are much more cohesive. We will see if that is enough against such opponents, who represent the cream of European water polo – said Uroš Stevanović, Radnički's coach, at the press conference before the match.

The team in Kragujevac is excited to play against a team composed of national team members from different countries. The team includes our own Dušan Mandić, Italian Di Soma, Greek Argiropulos, Spaniard De Toro, as well as Hungarians Varga, Vamoš, Janšik, Fogel, Manherc, Molnar, Nađ, Fekete, Vigvari, Pol, and more.

– We couldn't have asked for a better opponent than the team led by our Mandić and many other Hungarian and international national team players. We certainly won't enter the match with a "white flag", we have our own strengths. I hope the pool will be filled to the brim again, and the audience will enjoy another spectacle, just like all the previous matches – added Stevanović.

Captain Filip Janković believes that playing in front of a home crowd, Radnički can surpass even the European champions.

– There's nothing better for us athletes than playing in front of our packed pool against the European champions. Simply put, it's a match to enjoy. They are coming at the right time for us to see where we stand. They are strong in all positions, but so are we. We have our strengths and we will try to exploit their weaknesses. I expect a full pool, we truly have great support here and with the energy that characterizes us, we will go all out for the win – emphasized Janković.

– We are improving from game to game and we are determined to give our all and win, regardless of who is on the other side of the pool, and it will be the same against Ferencváros, who are realistically the main favorites. I think we are ready and we will get better through the upcoming matches. I'm glad that this will be our first match at our pool, and I hope the stands will be as full as during the qualifiers because the support will mean a lot to us – concluded Jakšić.