INTERVIEW – Nenad Periš
In mid-December, to be precise on Saturday, December 14th, at Gruž while officiating a Premier League match between Jug Adriatic osiguranje and Solaris, one of our most famous and best referees of international rank, Nenad Periš, concluded his refereeing career.
This gentleman from Split, for a full three decades, stood by the poolside, taking part in at least 900, but probably around 1,000 matches. He refereed at two Olympic Games (Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2021), at 6 World Championships, 4 European Championships, at 3 Asian Games, and 3 times at the Chinese Games. He officiated the World League finals 8 times, now called the World Cup. He has also umpired in the finals of national championships in Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Brazil, Japan, and of course Croatia. He officiated in the final matches of the Olympics in Tokyo 2021, the World Championships in Gwangju 2019 and Fukuoka 2023, as well as the European Championships in Barcelona 2018 and Split 2022, although in the latter only in the bronze medal match for men (Hungary - Italy). He is very proud and happy about his career and accomplishments.
– I'm not regretful at all, I'm proud and happy. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely and wholeheartedly congratulate all the people who, over the years and decades, have led and are still leading Croatian water polo. Thanks to their work, ideas, and vision, we are where we are today, at the top of the world.
Born on a Ship
This is how Nenad Periš describes himself, and with the match mentioned in the introduction, he ended his brilliant refereeing career in Dubrovnik. However, there is still a possibility that he might officiate a few matches at the Summer League in Malta, but in principle, his refereeing career is over.
Nenad Periš was born on September 8, 1964, in Split, although technically, he was born on a ship! A ship that was sailing from Vis to Split. Interestingly, that ship ended up in a museum. Not because of me, ha ha, but because that ship was carrying the then president of the country, Josip Broz, on his way to Italy for negotiations regarding the Osimo Agreements in 1975 (an intergovernmental agreement on the border delineation between Italy and the then SFRY). Although some might think it's not important, the fact that I was born on a ship, to me, created a lifelong bond with the sea.
That's how my sporting career began. But not with water polo, right?
– I started swimming at the age of 8, and at 12, I switched to water polo. That's when I fell in love with the sport and remained loyal to it. I played for POŠK and was the youngest player when POŠK won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1981. However, I eventually focused on studying, graduated in chemistry, and then, by chance in the city, I met Mišo Asić, who had been my coach at POŠK earlier, and he said to me, "Why don't you try your hand at refereeing." That was the path that brought me back to the pool, back to this sport, to the water polo arena.
The Mentors
The fateful encounter with his former coach eventually led to becoming a top referee over time. What was the beginning like?
– I have to admit, I found it very interesting right from the start. There are some people I need to highlight, people from whom I learned the most, and those are Rikard Klemenčić and Željko Klarić. Croatia had a lot of referees who were really, really good. Over time, I developed my own style of officiating and vision, as rules changed, new challenges emerged, and the game became significantly faster. I was fortunate to start officiating final matches in our national championship quite quickly, just after 3-4 years, between Mladost and Jug. Alongside my older colleagues, Željko Klarić, Mlađan Prvan, Tiho Lovrić, Albert Brale, the late Zlatko Ćuk, Dragan Štampalija... I encountered high-level water polo and gained experiences that were crucial for my transition to international officiating. This is why I advocate for supporting young referees today, to give them opportunities.
What is crucial for a good referee, or what sets apart a top referee from an average one?
– Training. Just like for players. I enjoyed training as a referee, which meant officiating, officiating, showing up at the pool, attending training sessions, and offering coaches to referee their practices. Then preparation, concentration before a match. I aimed to concentrate so that I must not make mistakes in certain game situations. It's not easy, mistakes happen, but in some situations, they must not. Also, after those training sessions, even after games, I liked to consult with those who had more experience. To hear their thoughts. With all due respect to everyone, especially the great players and coaches, officiating is indeed a specific job. I don't think it's more important, but it's not less either. We are a service, players are in the spotlight, but the referee shapes the game – says Periš.
Referee's Feel for the Game
This brings us to what is often mentioned regarding water polo referees, that they can have the most influence on the game. The more cynical might even say they can 'manipulate the outcome.'
– That's why having a feel for the game is crucial. A good referee is someone who truly understands the game. If you have a fast team, do you call fouls quickly or let the play flow? If you have strong centers, do you whistle fouls on them quickly or let the game flow a bit? These are nuances; I've highlighted two, but there are dozens. A referee is very important in terms of how the game will ultimately turn out. It's important to adapt to the players in a way while maintaining a feel for the game. The referee is a participant in the game, not a bureaucrat. You have to 'play' with the players. The referee's main task is to allow the superior player in the pool to win. Not to enable it but not to stand in the way either. Of course, if a referee lacks that feel, makes too many mistakes, they can significantly affect or change the course of the game.
One particular match that Periš vividly recalls from hundreds he officiated, a recent one, one of his last international matches. It was the Champions League in Savona on December 3, 2024, when Olympiacos visited.
– A very important match that would decide the top spot in the group. In the beginning of the game, one of the best visiting players (Kakaris) was ejected with substitution rights. The home team was leading by 3 goals the entire time, with just 3.49 minutes left. Then, one of the best home players (Figlioli) intentionally strikes a visiting player in a completely surprising and unnecessary situation. I call it brutality, exclusion without substitution, meaning the home team played a man down and conceded a penalty shot. The Greeks converted, reducing the deficit to 2 goals, and in the last minute or minute and a half, Olympiacos scores two more goals, equalizes, and then goes on to win in a penalty shootout. That match had everything. A 3-goal lead with less than 4 minutes to go for the home team, which they ended up losing. There were ejections with and without substitution, brutality, penalty shots, as well as the penalty shootout. Fully loaded, but in the end, everyone congratulated me – says Nenad Periš.
A Call to Young Referees
His refereeing career has ended; the white shirts and jerseys, of which he claims to have hundreds, are now stored away in the wardrobe. What's next? It seems unlikely that we will see Periš at the poolside again.
– Water polo is a big part of my life and emotions. Throughout life, we all go through many things. I've had some situations that were very painful and tough for me, but that's life. You have to accept what God gives you, what life brings. I've finished this refereeing chapter, which was honestly such a wonderful, beautiful part of my life. For anyone who loves it, who believes that young ones could do it, I sincerely recommend giving it a try. With the emotion you experience, you're actually part of the game with the players. Good referees participate, everyone else is assistance. It's wonderful; it's emotional. I've traveled the whole world, visited many countries, have a lot of friends. What awaits me next? We'll see, patiently. I will certainly continue to visit the pool because water polo is in my heart – concludes Nenad Periš, expressing a special message for the readers of our website at the end.
– To all who are reading this, who follow this page, love water polo, I sincerely wish you a Merry Christmas, even if it's a few days late, but of course, all the best, and good health to everyone in the New Year 2025. Primarily, health to all.
