Official continuation of the collaboration: Uroš Stevanović extends contract with WSS until 2028.
The Water Polo Association of Serbia has formalized what everyone expected to happen after the Olympic Games in Paris - they have extended the contract with the head coach of the men's national team, Uroš Stevanović.
The coach who led the Serbian national team to a gold medal at the Olympic Games, will continue his work as head coach for the next four years, until the competition in Los Angeles in 2028.
Viktor Jelenić, the President of the Water Polo Association of Serbia, stated in a press release:
Stevanović signed his first contract with the association in October 2022. His contract expired this October and we immediately signed a new one. We easily reached an agreement. He did a great job under challenging conditions and with a team whose quality many doubted, he managed to achieve a fantastic result and secure a third consecutive Olympic medal for Serbia. The coach expressed his desire to continue our collaboration, he has our full trust, and we move forward together.
After the official continuation of the collaboration, Uroš Stevanović commented:
My desire was never in doubt. Being a national team coach is the fulfillment of my greatest wish, and as the President said, we quickly reached an agreement. This is a new Olympic cycle and we are moving forward.
Uroš Stevanović took over the national team in October 2022, following the resignation of coach Dejan Savić. At the first major competition, the World Championships in Fukuoka, the team finished in fourth place. This year, at the European Championships in Zagreb, Serbia finished seventh, and at the World Championships in Doha, they finished sixth.
Although medals were missing, the goals remained high. Stevanović strengthened the coaching staff before the Olympic Games, brought back two experienced players to the team. Sports psychologist Andrija Gerić was hired, and Ćuk and Dedović returned to the national team. Stevanović managed to create a great atmosphere within the team, which underwent intense training and reached its peak performance when it mattered most - during the elimination phase of the Olympic Games. All of this led to the third consecutive Olympic gold for Serbian water polo.
