He led Serbia to the top of Europe, then stepped down!

After a great start to the year for Serbian water polo and winning the European Championship at Belgrade Arena, shocking news has emerged.

The architect of that major success, as well as the Olympic gold medal in Paris, Uroš Stevanović, has decided to step down following a statement by the new president of the Water Polo Association of Serbia, Slobodan Soro.

Soro stated that during his mandate, Stevanović would not be allowed to simultaneously serve as head coach of the senior national team and as coach of VK Radnički Kragujevac.

Stevanović issued a statement explaining his decision to withdraw from the national team:

‘Dear all,

I have decided to submit my irrevocable resignation as head coach of the Serbia men's national water polo team.

This decision is difficult but inevitable.

I believe that after new people have taken over leadership of our federation, it is time for new people poolside as well, in the professional management of Serbia’s best team. Our visions of the future differ significantly, and I do not want such a situation to lead to any problems within the team or the federation.

In recent days, we have all witnessed the public appearances of the new president of the federation, which are completely contrary to my views, as well as to the sentiment of the entire nation toward the Olympic and European champions.

Precisely out of a desire to protect the players who earned gold medals and brought them to Serbia, to the joy of the people, I am resigning. I do not want to allow any public disputes or “expert analyses,” and I see that we are heading in that direction, driven by others.

The guys in the pool are, to me, true champions, and my resignation will, I believe, lead to a more realistic perspective and perhaps even some praise, instead of sudden critical remarks. At the same time, this is an opportunity for new people to get a chance, just as I once earned the greatest honor.

Over the past three years, we leave behind Olympic and European gold, as well as a fourth-place finish at the World Championship. I am proud of every minute of my tenure, and I owe special thanks to all my colleagues and players, without whom these successes would not exist.

I note that after this I will no longer comment on this topic in media statements or interviews, nor will I engage in any debates.’