Partizan started preparations for the new season: All that matters is good working conditions
Partizan's water polo players started preparations for the new season, and the coach of the black and white team, Stefan Ćirić, could not count on all players at the start of the preparatory period, since part of the team with the junior selection is preparing for the European Championship in Burgas.
A month ago, before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, the Black and Whites announced that the senior team in the new season will be led by Stefan Ćirić, who replaced Miloš Korolija on the bench, and Ćirić stated in an interview for Sportal that he would be a big challenge.
– Yes, it is definitely a big challenge. I spent fifteen years as a coach in Partizan before I went to France. I had an agreement to extend the contract and we were already building a team for the next season. However, at the beginning of June, all this failed, because the sponsors and the Municipality failed to cover the costs that we had planned. I was on the market, talking to some clubs, including one club from Montenegro and another from Serbia, but when the invitation came from Partizan, I had no doubts. Of course, my friends wondered if I was normal, because they know what I went through in the first term, as well as my predecessor. However, the smallest problem is the result - the goal is to work with a young team, to focus on their development, both individually and tactically - said Ćirić for Sportal and continued:
– I have already stated that there will certainly be heavy defeats, but what is important is that we have good working conditions, that the pool is secured and that the children can train. As for the first team, as well as the younger categories, when you look, mostly Šabac and Partizan play in the finals of the younger categories. Eight players from Partizan were at the World Championship in Argentina, where they won silver, and are now preparing for the European Championship in Bulgaria. Despite the big problems with the conditions in previous years, Partizan managed to produce so many talented players. Partizan is a club with a rich tradition and great potential, and has many talented children who deserve the opportunity to achieve great things. My goal is to help them realize their potential and to continue the tradition of success together. By returning to Partizan, I want to focus on creating a stable system that will enable the club's long-term development. I am convinced that with the right support and dedication we can achieve great things.
The lineup for the new season is still unknown, but it is known that the strikers have left Banjica, so Ćirić will not be able to count on Luka Gladović, Marko Dimitrijević, Petar Jakšić, Zoran Božović and goalkeeper Pedro Fernandez in the new season. It is still not known whether the best player of the World Junior Championship, Strahinja Krstić, will remain in the black and white cap.
