One of the most historic clubs in European water polo could be facing its final chapter.
Crvena Zvezda’s players, coaches and assembly president have issued a dramatic statement warning that the Serbian club is on the verge of closure, citing debts exceeding €500,000 and a complete lack of leadership and financial backing.
The statement comes after a turbulent season that began with considerable optimism. According to the club, a strengthened squad and promises of substantial financial support from sponsors created expectations that Crvena Zvezda would challenge for major honours in domestic and European competition.
Instead, the project quickly unravelled.
The club claims that promised funds never materialised and that management members failed to fulfil their commitments. As financial problems mounted, many players departed during the season, while members of the management team also left the club.
Despite the turmoil, the remaining players and coaching staff managed to steer Crvena Zvezda to a fourth-place finish in the Serbian League, securing qualification for European competition next season.
However, those involved say the club’s future remains in serious doubt.
“We have to state with concern that the club is on the verge of closure,” the statement reads.
“There is still no management or sponsor, no president in sight. The team that was European champion and Super Cup winner in 2013 is living through difficult days with an uncertain future.”
According to the statement, Crvena Zvezda has amassed more than €500,000 in debt over the past two and a half seasons. The club says the majority of those liabilities are owed to players and coaching staff, while a portion is also related to catering services provided to the team.
The situation is particularly striking given the club’s status within European water polo. Crvena Zvezda enjoyed one of the greatest moments in its history in 2013 when it won the Champions League before going on to lift the European Super Cup later that year.
While the current financial picture appears bleak, the club believes a solution is still possible.
The statement argues that, given the level of investment currently available in Serbian sport, a new management structure and sponsorship pool could resolve the debt and secure the club’s future.
For now, however, one of Serbia’s most recognisable water polo institutions finds itself fighting for survival away from the pool.
If no solution is found, the sport could lose one of its most historic names.
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