sports
May 7, 2026
Water Polo Players' Rebellion: 11 National Team Members Leave Due to Federation Leadership
Captain of the Serbian water polo team Nikola Jakšić, along with his teammates Radoslav Filipović, Dušan Mandić, Strahinja Rašović, Sava Ranđelović, Đorđe Lazić, Radomir Drašović, Nemanja Vico, Nikola Dedović, Petar Jakšić, and Viktor Rašović, announced today that they have made a unanimous decision to withdraw from the Serbian national team as long as Slobodan Soro and his team are in charge.
TL;DR
- Eleven Serbian water polo players have resigned from the national team.
- The players are protesting against Slobodan Soro, the new president of the Water Polo Federation of Serbia, and his team.
- They accuse Soro of discrediting their past successes and engaging in unsportsmanlike behavior.
- The players cite past incidents involving Soro and his team at VK Novi Beograd, including alleged training bans and exclusion from the national team.
- They believe Soro's actions aim to harm the national team's unity and progress.
- The players emphasize that their success is a result of years of dedication, not mere inspiration.
- They express pride in their achievements as the current European and triple Olympic champions.
- The players have appealed for public support from former and current athletes and water polo figures.
- Uroš Stevanović previously resigned as the national team coach.