Aleksa Ukropina has returned to Jadran Herceg Novi, eight years after leaving the club where he began his senior career.
The Montenegrin left-hander is back at Skver, with Jadran confirming the signing ahead of the new season. Ukropina, born in 1998, made his debut for Jadran’s first team in 2013 and remained with the Herceg Novi club until 2018.
His return adds experience, quality and a familiar face to Jadran’s squad. Ukropina came through at the club before continuing his career abroad, first in Hungary and then in Serbia. During his time away from Herceg Novi, he was a Hungarian Cup and league runner-up in the 2018/19 season, before later winning the Serbian Championship with Radnicki Kragujevac in 2020/21 and the Serbian Cup in 2021/22.
Ukropina has also built a strong international CV with Montenegro. At youth level, he won gold with Montenegro U18 at the European Championship and silver at the U20 World Championship. He made his senior national team debut in 2014 and was part of the Montenegro side that won the World League in 2021.
For Jadran, the signing represents more than just another transfer. Ukropina returns as a player with a deep connection to the club, but also with far more experience than when he left. His left-handed shooting, attacking threat and knowledge of high-level regional and European water polo should make him an important addition for the Montenegrin champions.
Jadran remain one of the leading forces in Montenegrin water polo and will be looking to build a squad capable of competing strongly domestically and in regional competition. Bringing Ukropina back to Herceg Novi is a significant move, both emotionally and competitively.
After eight years away, Ukropina is once again a Jadran player.
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