"We won't back down, that's the Serbian character – we've had enough of stress-expresses"

The duel with Hungary was exactly as expected – physically extremely demanding (15:14).

This is best illustrated by Miloš Ćuk, the most experienced player on the Serbian team and one of the four who remember the golden Arena of 2016. The emotions have settled, but as he says, the body still remembers.

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“My head has cooled down, but my body still remembers everything. Personally, I’m really exhausted. So it wasn’t a good morning after Hungary – when I woke up, I felt very bad and very tired, that was my first impression. It’s a big victory that brought us to the semifinals, but we are still extremely far from our goal,” said Miloš Ćuk at the beginning of his interview with B92.sport.

In a true water polo classic, full of duels, intensity, and tension, the “Dolphins” managed to take the win against the stubborn and high-quality Hungarians.

Slobodan Sandić / Vaterpolo savez Srbije

Translation:

“That’s something we kind of expected. The Hungarians are perhaps the best physically prepared team of all. This was a very demanding match in that sense, but thank God we managed to endure it all. They really kept a strong pace throughout the game, and we managed to counter it. At the beginning, they broke away in counterattacks a few times, which we were worried about, but after the first quarter, we managed to consolidate and keep the match under control almost until the end,” says 35-year-old Ćuk.

Once again, the rule that follows this generation was confirmed – it seems there’s never a game without drama.

“We even commented that we’ve had enough of that stress-express; we can’t play a match where we just take the lead and hold it until the end. There always has to be a results rollercoaster. In the end, experience helps you handle it better, all that stress you go through during a match. But it seems that this generation of ours always plays it down to one goal, always down to one ball. But it’s fine as long as that one is ours at the end. Let it stay that way until the end, as long as we stay champions,” Ćuk says with a smile.

The weight of Ćuk’s words is even greater considering that he is one of the four players who won gold in the same Arena in 2016.

“In 2016, it was easier for me. I was younger, I handled everything more easily, and the competition system back then was much simpler. Back then, the draw was also much more favorable; now the draw is tougher, there are more matches, and every game is important. It’s much harder now, but I believe that in the end it will also be much sweeter. Who would have thought that 10 years after 2016 I would be playing again in front of a full Arena… But thank God, it has happened, and I hope we can achieve the same result as back then.”

Slobodan Sandić / Vaterpolo savez Srbije

 

At the moments when Hungary came back into the match and threatened a turnaround, Serbia once again showed character and proved that the team grows stronger as the competition nears its end.

“That’s our Serbian character – we don’t give in, we fight until the last second. We have the age, we have the kilos (laughs), but we have the experience that gives us confidence in such moments. These are all factors that make us play the way we do. But I repeat, we’ll try to improve all of that and avoid getting into such situations again.”

One of the heroes of the victory over Hungary was the young goalkeeper Milan Glušac, Ćuk’s club teammate from Novi Beograd. Even though he had 14 saves and was a key factor in the big win, the veteran wants to keep the younger teammate grounded.

“It’s too early for euphoria. Milan is a great guy, which is most important. He’s a big professional, and I wouldn’t praise him yet. God willing, I’ll praise him after the final. He gives us confidence in the game and it means a lot when the goalkeeper catches those two or three balls that get past the blocks. It provides extra energy and confidence, and an impulse for a better attack rhythm. He means a lot to us – goalkeepers are the most important link in today’s water polo, and in many situations, in this new system of play, they’re left on their own. They carry huge responsibility. For now it’s good, but there’s time to praise him,” says Ćuk with a smile.

Although the semifinal spot is already secured, Ćuk emphasizes that there is no room for relaxation ahead of the duel with Montenegro (20:30), where a win would confirm first place in Group E.

Slobodan Sandić / Vaterpolo savez Srbije

“Yes, in that sense we’re relieved that we’ve advanced, but I don’t really feel it that way. This match against Montenegro is extremely important to me, because we need to maintain, and even improve, our level of play. We can’t do that if we enter the match casually, drop a level, and then have to raise ourselves again. I think it’s very important that today we are focused and sharp for the semifinal. I don’t take this game lightly at all – quite the opposite. It’s crucial that we stay true to our level, aggressiveness, and pace, and gradually raise it as much as possible for the most important games, the last two ahead of us.”

The duel with Montenegro, although emotionally special because Dejan Savić will be on the other side, carries the same weight as any other match in this championship.

“It’s strange and unusual – we spent a long time with Deki. A match is a match, and I’m sure they won’t take it lightly either. Even if it were my own brother on the other side… it will be demanding. We’ll prepare as much as possible to be physically ready, because we are entering fatigue on that front. That’s what we’re working on. It will be a fair, good, and tough match, as it always is against Montenegro.”

Finally, the focus remains calm and on the semifinals, even though Greece in Group F has secured a semifinal spot, and the remaining direct qualifier will be decided between Italy and Croatia.

“I haven’t really followed, but first we’ll finish our part and the group phase, then we’ll think about that. Whoever comes through isn’t that important. What’s important is how we look as a team, and then there’s no problem,” Ćuk concluded.

Dejana Popović