Miloš Saković ahead of the European Championship for 18-year-olds: We haven't reached the desired form, but we are on the right track
The competitive season and a series of World and European Championships in men's water polo will end from August 18 to 24 in Oradea, where the European Championship for 18-year-olds will be held.
The Serbian national team, under the leadership of head coach Miloš Saković, started its preparations for Oradea at the end of June.
"We gathered for the first time on June 30. We spent two weeks in Novi Sad. After that, the players returned to their clubs for the Serbian Championship finals," Saković reported.
During the first phase of preparations, the Serbian younger juniors sparred with Turkey and won in two matches.
"We gathered again on July 21, played two games against Hungary, won both, one after penalties. I am satisfied with how the boys work, but injuries are causing us big problems. Several younger players born in 2009 could not join the preparations due to injuries," Saković stated.
The team is currently in Novi Sad, where it hosted Spain and Germany, and from August 11 to 13 will play against the Georgian national team in the final tests for the Oradea tournament.
Assessing the game in the victory in the first preparatory match against Germany, Saković said:
"Germans have long been under the guidance of our coaches - selector Nebojša Novoselac and his assistant Vuk Vuksanović, so we cannot say that their younger national team plays typical German water polo. There are also many elements of Serbian water polo in their game.
The German team is a tough opponent, therefore, a good rival for our preparations and testing forms. I believe we have not given our all. It was evident that we have not yet 'shaped up'. There is room for improvement. I expect that everything will be in place by the start of the European Championship. I am convinced that this team can do much more and play much better than in the match against the Germans."
The teams will be divided into two divisions at the championship. Serbia is in Group B of Division 1, so Germany, as Saković says, is a possible opponent in a "worst-case" scenario - if our team finishes last in its group and Germany finishes at the top of the group in the second division.
Line-ups of the EP groups in Istanbul
Group A: Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands.
Group B: Serbia, Spain, Montenegro, Croatia.
Sub-division 2
Group C: Turkey, France, Romania, Poland.
Group D: Germany, Malta, Georgia, Ukraine.
The first and second placed teams from Groups A and B will advance to the quarterfinals, while the third and fourth placed teams will play in the round of 16 against the winners and runners-up of groups C and D.
Initially, on the list for preparations were: Novak Lazić, Petar Mićanović, Luka Vojinović, Mihailo Gošić, Miroslav Jakovljević Jugović, Nikola Pavlović, Vuk Čonkić, Strahinja Nešković, Luigi Canepa, Rade Milašinović, Nikola Bistrović, Pavle Papić, Strahinja Stanimirović, Mateja Kosanović, Luka Drobnjaković, Milan Zelić, Marko Ićitović, Uroš Munćan, Ognjen Ilić, Nikola Đurišić, Nikolas Nestorović, Luka Urošević, Filip Ristivojević.
Aside from Saković, the coaching staff also includes Uglješa Panić, Nikola Milosavljević, and Đorđe Popović.
