The Serbia men’s national water polo team has plunged into chaos after head coach Uroš Stevanović resigned and 11 star players announced they would no longer represent the country under the current federation leadership. The unprecedented revolt erupted after newly elected Water Polo Federation of Serbia president Slobodan Soro allegedly made remarks players viewed as dismissive and disrespectful toward the team’s recent achievements.
Serbia’s squad, which captured Olympic gold in Paris and won the 2026 European Championship in Belgrade earlier this year, released a joint statement accusing Soro of attempting to “discredit and belittle” their accomplishments. The players argued their titles were earned through “years of sacrifice, training, unity, and struggle,” not “momentary inspiration,” a phrase attributed to Soro following his election as federation president.
Serbia water polo crisis escalates after Stevanović resignation
Stevanović, who guided Serbia to both Olympic and European glory during his three-and-a-half-year tenure, announced his resignation days after Soro took office. According to reports, one of the key disagreements centered on the federation’s new policy that the national team coach should not simultaneously manage a club side. Stevanović also coaches Radnički Kragujevac.
In his resignation statement, Stevanović described the decision as “difficult but inevitable,” bringing an abrupt end to one of the most successful coaching periods in recent Serbian water polo history. European Aquatics reported that federation restructuring and leadership tensions played a major role in the fallout.
The player boycott soon followed. Team captain Nikola Jakšić joined fellow stars Dušan Mandić, Strahinja Rašović, Sava Ranđelović, Nikola Dedović and several other veterans in announcing they would step away from the national team while Soro remains president.
Players accuse federation leadership of disrespect
The players’ public letter painted a picture of long-running internal friction. They alleged several national team members previously faced “unsportsmanlike moves” connected to Soro and officials linked to club powerhouse Novi Beograd, including training bans and exclusion from competition opportunities.
The statement also emphasized Serbia’s extraordinary international record over the past decade, calling the team “the most decorated national team in Serbia.” The group appealed for support from former athletes, coaches and fans to protect the future of Serbian water polo. Al Jazeera detailed how the conflict rapidly spiraled into a full-scale crisis within one of the sport’s global powerhouses.
Soro has not directly responded to the players’ boycott announcement, though he previously said Stevanović’s resignation was unexpected and thanked the coach for winning Olympic and European titles. Total Waterpolo reported that the federation is already considering replacement candidates ahead of upcoming international competitions.
A dynasty now facing uncertainty
The timing of the dispute has stunned the international water polo community because Serbia remains one of the sport’s dominant nations. Serbia defeated Hungary 10-7 in January’s European Championship final in Belgrade to secure another continental crown.
The current crisis now threatens to destabilize a program that has consistently produced elite results across multiple Olympic cycles. The national team’s success under Stevanović followed the celebrated eras led by former coaches Dejan Savić and Dejan Udovičić, who helped establish Serbia as the modern standard in men’s water polo.
This is not the first time Serbian water polo has faced internal turbulence. In previous years, financial disputes and governance concerns periodically surfaced within domestic clubs and federation politics, raising fears about the long-term sustainability of the sport’s infrastructure. A 2025 report on Serbia hosting the 2026 European Championships highlighted both the nation’s immense tradition in water polo and growing pressure on federation leadership to modernize the sport.
Questions about leadership and organizational stability also surfaced during earlier transitions within Serbian water polo’s coaching structure. Background reporting on Stevanović’s appointment in 2022 noted expectations that he would guide Serbia through a new generational phase following years of dominance under legendary predecessors.
What comes next in the Serbia water polo crisis?
The federation now faces mounting pressure to repair relations with its top players before the Mediterranean Games and future world-level tournaments. Losing much of the championship-winning core could significantly weaken Serbia’s international standing and jeopardize preparations for upcoming competitions.
For now, the standoff appears far from resolved. The resignation of a title-winning coach combined with a player revolt has transformed what began as a leadership dispute into the deepest institutional crisis Serbian water polo has faced in years.
