World Aquatics has announced the draw for the qualifying groups of the World Cup, placing Croatia in Division 1, the strongest group, which includes 11 national teams. Originally, 12 teams were expected, but Italy’s suspension following incidents at the Paris Olympics has led to an unprecedented issue.
In the draw, the Croatian water polo team found itself in Group D, which includes only one other team: Georgia. All other groups have three teams each, and the top two from each group will advance to the quarterfinals.
To address this imbalance, Croatia and Georgia will face each other twice to ensure they play the same number of matches as teams in other groups.
Croatia’s head coach, Ivica Tucak, expressed his frustration with the situation:
“No one has ever encountered such a decision, such bizarre stupidity. At the very least, if you know Italy is disqualified, you should find a 12th team based on some ranking. If that wasn’t possible, then we, along with Georgia, end up in a group where we play one match and then have a bye in the next round,” Tucak said in an interview with RTL. He added angrily, “I’m not sure I can or even should comment further on what they are trying to do to this beautiful sport. Unfortunately, it feels like we’re surrounded by people who neither love this sport nor understand it and, ultimately, are not doing it any good. This sport is our life, it means something special to us, but it feels like we’ve ended up in the hands of completely incompetent individuals.”
If Croatia secures first place in the group as expected, they will face the runner-up from Group C in the quarterfinals, which is likely to be either Romania or Japan, with the USA as the group favorite. With no major upsets, Croatia should have a clear path to the semifinals. The top six teams from this qualifying tournament will advance to the World League Finals, scheduled for April next year.
Qualifying Tournament Schedule (Romania, January 12–17):
- Group A: France, Spain, Hungary
- Group B: Greece, Serbia, Montenegro
- Group C: USA, Romania, Japan
- Group D: Croatia, Georgia