Croatians open against Hungary
They started... well, as their coach or selector Mia Šimunić said, in December 2018. No, they did not start preparations for the European Women's Under-19 Championship, which started on Saturday in Zagreb, and on Sunday with the first match of our national team .
It was then, in that December 2018, that a team of girls gathered for the first time to start preparations for the EP under 15, which took place in the Russian city of Kirishi in 2019.
They were there, from girls before who now have a performance at the EP in their pool, in Croatia, in the Mladosti uz Sava swimming pool - Latica Medvešek, Autora Stipanov, Jelena Butić, Magdalena Butić, Dora Kangler, Ria Glas - Six girls, a kind of nucleus on which they were built over time girls who now together make up our under-19 national team. The squad that will carry the Croatian flag at the European Championship in Zagreb.
It started in Kirišija
– Yes, they have really been together since that December 2018. In Kirišija in 2019, we ended up sixth in the under-15 competition. There, or since then, we started to "spin" somewhere around the 6th or 7th place, to come this year, another generation, even to the 4th place in the world - says selector Mia Šimunić.
That 4th place, semi-final at the World Championship, the greatest success of our women's water polo and the first semi-final at any major competition, was achieved by another, even younger generation, players up to the age of 16. From that national team, there are now three players in the under-19 team, significantly older, that is, Nina Jazvin, Neli Janković and Lara Srhoj.
- They have been together for a long time, an enormous number of days and weeks of preparation. They are very expensive even outside the pool. We have so many socializing and activities. We became just one family. We also have some less beautiful days, unpleasant situations, not everything goes smoothly for us, but with a lot of love, effort, and mutual encouragement, we really have a great time.
Strong Hungarians
Remember, Croatia is in the first strong category, in group A, which means that all four national teams from groups A and B will go on, but... Only the two first-placed in the group will directly to the quarterfinals, while the third and fourth placers will advance to the round of 16. However, there is still a long way to the eighth final.
The first opponents of our players will be the great team of Hungary. The northern neighbors are one of the favorites for gold. At the previous EP of this age (Netanya, 2022), they won silver, behind Spain. Hungarian women's water polo has won as many as 10 medals at 14 European Championships in the age group of up to 19 years. That alone says a lot.
Furthermore, this lineup includes as many as 6 players who won the title of world champion under the age of 20 last year. Then they were led from the bench by Marton Benczur, who is still in the staff of the Hungarian under-19 team, together with another big, very well-known name from men's water polo, former coast guard, Peter Biros. Namely, after the end of his playing career, Biros dedicated himself to coaching and working with water polo players, so among other things he is the coach of the women's team of Eger.
Play to the best of my ability
It is certainly no secret that Hungary is the emphatic favorite, but equally our girls are 'burning' with the desire to perform in their homeland and in front of their fans, which we hope will not be lacking , show how much they know and how much they have progressed.
- We want to show the best possible water polo that these girls can do. The best water polo we have ever shown, and through all those senior matches at European championships, and through various world and European competitions - notes Mia Šimunić and continues. water polo. We have shown it before, in younger categories. At younger ages it is still easier to make a success. Of course, it is not easy, but easier than in this current competition. All these girls that we will face now, Hungarian, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Dutch... they all have a much better league. Then clearly all these players can play much better water polo throughout the year. These girls who will now perform in Zagreb already have two senior European championships behind them, although I am aware that it is still less than a complete league that lasts the whole year. Simply, let's play the best we can. They, our girls, are ready for that. They have worked hard for this, they can't wait and they know how to play water polo - their coach will say decisively.
It is up to all of us to come to the stands of the pool by the Sava, support the girls, cheer for Croatia!
—
Croatian women's national team under 19 at the EP Zagreb 2024
Gatekeepers:
Latica Medvešek
Lana Korać
Defenders:
Ana Desnica
Karla Ružić
Aurora Stipanov
Anchors:
Magdalena Butić
Nina Jazvin
Dora Kangler
Left side:
Ria Voice
Neli Janković
Nina Medić
Iva Rožić
Right side:
Nika Alamat
Jelena Butić
Lara Srhoj
Professional staff:
– Mia Šimunić, selection
– Bruno Sabioni, assistant coach
– Željko Jozipović, goalkeeper coach
– Antonija Livaković, physiotherapist
– Dr. Ljiljana Škrinjarić, doctor
– Dunja Bračun, team manager
—
EP groups under 19, Zagreb 2024
A – Croatia, Hungary, France, Greece
B – Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Israel
C – Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine
D – Bulgaria, Malta, Germany, Turkey, Great Britain
—
Croatian performance schedule
Sunday, August 25
1. round: Croatia – Hungary (17.30)
Monday, August 26
2. round: Croatia - France (17.30)
Tuesday, August 27
3. round: Croatia - Greece (17.30)
