Jadran Herceg Novi have returned to the top of Montenegrin water polo, securing the national championship title with a 3–0 series win over rivals Primorac Kotor. After two hard-fought victories (16–14 and 15–14), Jadran closed out the final with a dramatic 11–9 win in Game 3.
Led by head coach Vladimir Gojković, Jadran dethroned the reigning champions and earned a place in the 2025–26 Champions League group stage. Primorac, meanwhile, will compete in the Champions League qualification rounds.
Game 3 Recap: Jadran 11–9 Primorac
(2:4, 4:1, 4:3, 1:1)
Primorac started the third and final game strongly. Goals from Đorđije Stanojević (2), Savo Ćetković, and Nika Šušiašvili gave the Kotor side a 4–2 lead after the first quarter. Jadran’s early scorers were Aleksandar Ivović and Vuk Milojević.
Early in the second quarter, Stanojević scored again to give Primorac a 5–2 advantage. But Jadran responded with a strong comeback. Goals from Dmitri Holod, Danilo Stupar, and Matija Sladović, combined with several key saves from goalkeeper Darko Đurović, turned the tide. Holod’s second goal gave Jadran their first lead at 6–5 by halftime.
Jadran Take Control
Momentum stayed with Jadran in the third period. Danilo Radović scored to make it 7–5, followed by another strike from Milojević to extend the lead to 8–5. Primorac’s 11-minute scoring drought ended with goals from Nemanja Vico and Stanojević to reduce the gap to 8–7.
Đorđe Lazić scored for 9–7, and although Dušan Matković responded for Primorac, Aleksandar Ivović fired in a long-range goal at the buzzer to give Jadran a 10–8 lead heading into the final quarter.
Late Drama and a Sealing Strike
The final period was a tense, low-scoring affair. After more than four minutes without a goal, Šušiašvili pulled one back for Primorac, narrowing the score to 10–9. The Kotor side had two opportunities to equalize but failed to convert.
With just 23 seconds remaining, Primorac’s head coach Dragan Drašković received a red card for protesting a decision. Moments later, Uroš Vučurović found the net to secure the win and the national title for Jadran.
Jadran Goal Scorers:
Ivović 2, Holod 2, Milojević 2, Stupar 1, Sladović 1, Lazić 1, Vučurović 1, Radović 1
Primorac Goal Scorers:
Stanojević 4, Šušiašvili 2, Ćetković 1, Vico 1, Matković 1
Read more about water polo in Montenegro
Follow Waterpolo 360 on Facebook, Instagram and X