Montenegro head coach Dejan Savić has unveiled a youthful and ambitious 15-player squad that will represent Montenegro at the 2026 Men’s European Water Polo Championships in Belgrade, which get underway on January 10.
The announcement followed Montenegro’s final warm-up match ahead of the tournament — a narrow 12:11 defeat to Croatia, one of the medal favourites. Despite the loss, the performance of the young Montenegrin side offered plenty of encouragement and reinforced the direction Savić has chosen ahead of the continental championship.
Speaking after the match, Savić highlighted both the positives and the areas still needing refinement.
“I think the spectators enjoyed it — it was a strong, tough match from both sides,” Savić said. “There were moments where Montenegro dropped slightly and conceded two cheap goals, but overall the result is realistic. We’ve improved certain elements, particularly in character and physical intensity. Some defensive aspects still need work, but we fulfilled our overall plan for this month.”
A new-look Montenegro
Montenegro will arrive in Belgrade with one of the youngest squads they have ever fielded at a major tournament. The selection includes three teenagers — Srđan Janović (19), Strahinja Gojković (18) and Danilo Stupar (18) — alongside Balša Vučković, who is just 20 years old.
Savić was clear that the selection reflects both a long-term vision and current form.
“I announced this already last year. This is the future, but also a group with room to improve through serious work,” he explained. “These are, at this moment, the 15 best water polo players in Montenegro.”
Montenegro squad for the 2026 European Championships
Goalkeepers
Petar Tešanović (Marseille)
Darko Đurović (Šabac)
Outfield players
Miroslav Perković (Novi Beograd)
Vladan Spaić (Marseille)
Jovan Vujović (Jadran Herceg Novi)
Aljoša Mačić (Šabac)
Vasilije Radović (Jadran Herceg Novi)
Vlado Popadić (Brescia)
Dmitrii Kholod (Jadran Herceg Novi)
Strahinja Gojković (Jadran Herceg Novi)
Balša Vučković (Primorac Kotor)
Dušan Matković (Jadran Split)
Marko Mršić (Primorac Kotor)
Danilo Stupar (Jadran Herceg Novi)
Srđan Janović (Jadran Herceg Novi)
Notably absent from the squad are Dušan Banićević and Đuro Radović, both of whom featured for Montenegro at last year’s World Championships.
“They certainly deserve to be part of the team,” Savić added. “But the margins were very small. Once again, these are the 15 best players right now.”
Group stage challenge ahead
Montenegro will compete in a demanding group alongside Malta, France and Hungary. Three teams from the group advance to the second phase, where they will cross over with the group containing Serbia, Spain, Netherlands and Israel. From there, only two teams will progress to the semifinals.
With a young, energetic roster and clear emphasis on development, Montenegro head to Belgrade as outsiders — but ones capable of testing more established contenders.
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