sports
May 8, 2026
Will water polo become a victim of a regime showdown
The new president of the Association, Slobodan Soro, shot and missed by belittling the results of Olympic and European champions. The question remains whether it was on the orders of Aleksandar Šapić? If the resignation of the coach was calculated, the reaction of the players demanding his departure was an unexpected, fierce counter-attack. And yes, there is no conflict of power and opposition here, this is just a problem for the authorities.
TL;DR
- New Water Polo Association President Slobodan Soro has sparked a crisis by downplaying the national team's Olympic and European championship wins.
- Eleven out of fifteen national team players have signed a statement refusing to play until Soro resigns.
- Coach Uroš Stevanović has also resigned, citing differing views on the future of Serbian water polo and refusing to accept that his success was merely coincidental.
- The crisis is linked to alleged political maneuvering and past conflicts involving Aleksandar Šapić and the Novi Beograd club.
- Player actions, such as Dušan Mandić and Nikola Jakšić facing issues with Novi Beograd, are cited as contributing factors to the current discontent.
- The situation is described as a problem solely within the ruling party, rather than a conflict between government and opposition.
- The article suggests that Soro's position may be unstable and he could be pressured to resign.
- The upcoming Serbian championship final between Radnički (coached by Stevanović) and Novi Beograd (led by Šapić) is highlighted as a point of interest.
- The author uses a Titanic metaphor to describe the precarious state of Serbian water polo.