The VRL Premier League returns this weekend for its second season, with an expanded 12-team competition and a considerably deeper group of clubs hoping to challenge defending champions Radnicki.

Seven teams return from the inaugural campaign — Radnicki, Primorac, Jadran, Sabac, Novi Beograd, Partizan and Buducnost — while Budva, Valis, Nais, Zemun and Vojvodina join the top division.

Crvena Zvezda are the major absentee following the club’s withdrawal from senior competition ahead of the new season.

Eight of the 12 VRL teams will also compete in either the Champions League or Euro Cup this season, underlining the strength of a competition that brings together the leading clubs from Serbia and Montenegro.

Radnicki remain the team to beat

Radnicki begin their title defence with arguably an even stronger squad than the one that won the inaugural VRL crown.

The Serbian champions have retained the core of their star-studded team, including Andrija Prlainovic, Nikola Jaksic, Strahinja Rasovic, Sava Randjelovic, Nikola Dedovic, Petar Jaksic and Viktor Rasovic.

They have also added Croatian internationals Josip Vrlic and goalkeeper Ivan Marcelic alongside Serbian international Nikola Lukic.

With continuity, enormous international experience and further reinforcements, Radnicki enter the new campaign with ambitions extending well beyond simply defending their regional title.

But the competition behind them appears stronger.

Primorac reached last season’s final and return under new head coach Vido Lompar. Their squad has undergone significant changes during the summer, but the Kotor club have rebuilt with the expectation of again competing towards the top of the table.

Montenegrin champions Jadran also enter with major ambitions. Several established players departed during the transfer window, but the Herceg Novi side have recruited extensively and already have their place secured in the Champions League group stage.

Novi Beograd rebuild, Budva return

Perhaps the biggest question surrounds Novi Beograd.

The three-time Champions League finalists have undergone a substantial rebuild, with ten new players and Zoran Bajic taking over as head coach.

Milos Cuk, Vasilije Martinovic, Miroslav Perkovic and several other members of last season’s squad remain, while the new-look roster combines young talent with established internationals. Despite the changes, expectations at Novi Beograd remain high.

Sabac should again be difficult opponents for any of the league’s leading sides. Their greatest strength may be continuity, with much of the existing group retained while several additions have strengthened the squad.

Partizan continue along a different path. The Serbian giants remain committed to developing their young players and showed last season that their academy-based squad is capable of troubling far more experienced opponents. Another year of development should make Partizan an even more dangerous proposition.

Buducnost have also strengthened considerably after finishing bottom of last season’s Premier League, with experienced coach Petar Radanovic now leading the team.

However, one of the most intriguing additions is Budva.

Once a major force in Yugoslav and Montenegrin water polo, Budva earned promotion after winning the VRL First League before finishing second in the Montenegrin championship.

Their summer recruitment has included Montenegro internationals and established players from across the region, while Montenegro junior national team coach Nebojsa Milic has taken charge. A return to the Final Four will be among their ambitions.

Valis, Vojvodina, Nais and Zemun complete the expanded field and will have an early opportunity to establish where they stand against the region’s traditional powers.

Opening round

The season begins on Saturday, September 19, although Champions League qualification means the opening round will be spread across five days.

Saturday, September 19
Radnicki – Nais, 19:00
Sabac – Valis, 19:00
Vojvodina – Zemun, 19:00

Monday, September 21
Jadran – Buducnost, 19:00

Tuesday, September 22
Novi Beograd – Partizan, 20:00

Wednesday, September 23
Primorac – Budva, 18:00

The final two games immediately provide major early-season tests, with the Belgrade derby between Novi Beograd and Partizan followed by a Montenegrin clash between Primorac and newly-promoted Budva.

Radnicki begin as defending champions, but the second season of the VRL looks set to provide a significantly broader battle for the Final Four.

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