Europski Radnički begins the fight for a place in the Champions League
Radnički presented the team for the new season at the official promotion in the Knjaževo-Serbian Theater on Tuesday. In addition to the natives, newcomers attracted the most attention: three-time gold winner at the Olympic Games and captain of Serbia, Nikola Jakšić, then one of the best centers of all time and a man who, along with two Olympic golds, also won everything that can be won, Duško Pijetlović, and a returner to the club Strahinja Rašović, who also has two Olympic golds in his showcase.
There are also the boys who became Olympic champions for the first time a month ago in Paris, Radomir Drašović, Radoslav Filipović and Petar Jakšić, as well as the Montenegrin center Nikola Murišić and the former Serbian and now Georgian representative, Dušan Vasić. The people of Kragujeva enter the new season with a stronger, but new composition, and this is exactly what is a double-edged sword in this tournament, due to the short time to get used to it.
- Unfortunately, we had a shorter period of preparation before these qualifications and the Adriatic League, which starts seven days later. We will certainly not be at our approximate maximum at the beginning, but I hope that we will be good enough to win the Champions League at this tournament - pointed out Uroš Stevanović, coach of Radnicki and another Olympian champion from Paris.
It will not be an easy task for the people of Kragujevac, because this is perhaps the most difficult of all four qualifying groups. The Hungarian BVSC is a group of young Hungarian national team players, many of whom have already made their debut for the senior team, along with a few experienced players with a large number of matches in the Champions League. The Greek Vuljagmeni, led by Vladimir Vujasinović, have rejuvenated the team, but it is an extremely talented team with a large number of young national team members, led by our Olympic champion Nemanja Ubović, as well as the Greek national team member Kalogeropoulos and the American Woodhead. Certainly, the toughest rival is Zagreb's Mladost. The popular "Zapci" attracted a large number of current and former Croatian national team members to their ranks this season, such as: Josip Vrlić, Luka Bukić, Ivan Marcelić, Matias Biljaka, Konstantin Harkov, Franko Lazić, Ante Vukičević, Ivan Buljubašić, Andrija Bašić...
- BVSC brought five young national team members and has a large part of the team that played at the European Championship in Zagreb, in that rejuvenated team. Mladost hired 10 new players, most of whom are Croatian national team members. We should also not forget Vuljagmeni led by our Vujasinović, the team that made a surprise just two seasons ago and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. All four teams have ambitions to enter the Champions League and will certainly fight for trophies in domestic championships. We play three games in three days, no one is physically fit and some team play is at an enviable level, but the stakes are high and whoever enters the Champions League will gain a lot for the further course of the season - believes Stevanović
One of the biggest assets of the people of Šumadin, Duško Pijetlović, won the Champions League four times in his career with three different teams, and after only two weeks he ended his "retirement" and came to Kragujevac for his fifth trophy.
- It won't be easy, given that we are a new team. The women's water polo players who will be the leaders this year are new players and it will be very difficult to fit in right away. I don't expect everything to be great at the start, but over time, with Uroš at the helm, I have no doubt that we will very quickly reach an ideal setup and game. This tournament will be very difficult for us, but also for others who have also changed teams a lot and it will be interesting to see who will fit in as a team first - said Pijetlović.
Strahinja Rašović was the best scorer of Radnicki in the season in which the team won the Regional League and the championship title, and after two Olympic golds, he returned for more trophies.
- Most importantly, expectations are highest and with great reason. We do not hide that we want to win a trophy in every competition in which we play. The moment is a bit more difficult, I wouldn't want to whine, because we water polo players never complain, but it's really a difficult moment. Immediately after the Olympic Games, a very important tournament awaits us, where we play against the best teams. All those teams have representatives of their countries in their ranks and we are expecting a great fight. A lot depends on us and if we are right, success will not be absent - concluded Rašović.
SCHEDULE OF THE TOURNAMENT:
Friday, September 13
18.00 Vuljagmeni – Mladost
20.00 Workers - BVSC Zuglo
Saturday, September 14
18.00 Youth – BVSC Zuglo
20.00 Radnički - Vuljagmeni
Sunday, September 15
18.00 BVSC Zuglo – Vuljagmeni
20.00 Radnički - Mladost
