A night when Serbia reminds everyone who and what it is

After 42 matches, only four teams remain and four games are left, and only those with heart, character, and belief can dream of a medal.Friday brings the semifinal clashes, while Sunday is reserved for the truth, the fight for bronze, and the grand final.First, at 5:00 PM, Hungary and Greece will face off, but what will make the Belgrade Arena tremble begins at 8:30 PM &ndash; Serbia versus Italy.In front of a full home crowd. The place where history has already been written.Uro&scaron; Stevanović&rsquo;s team reached the top four in Europe as the leader of Group E. Calmly, confidently, authoritatively in the most important matches, and taking it easy when the opportunity allowed.On the way to the semifinals, Serbia defeated the reigning champion Spain; for a direct ticket to the semifinals, they were better than Hungary, and against Montenegro they suffered their first loss&mdash;a sign of relaxation and strategic calculation ahead of the most important stage of the competition.The &ldquo;Azzurri,&rdquo; with a loss to Greece but a direct victory over Croatia (13:10), secured their semifinal spot, showing that their goal was not just to fight for a medal, and that they came to Belgrade hungry and fearless, not as tourists.Slobodan Sandić / Vaterpolo savez SrbijeSerbia has been waiting for a new European medal since 2018. Back then, it was gold. And now, exactly on this day, January 23&mdash;ten years after the legendary title in Belgrade&mdash;the same arena, the same energy, the same hope.The opponent is tough, young Italy plays fast, aggressive, and without pressure. But Serbia knows how to play these kinds of matches. Serbia knows how to rise when it&rsquo;s hardest, because this is a team of Olympic champions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vaterpolo savez Srbije (@waterpolo_serbia)Looking at recent history, the Italians were better in Trebinje during preparations (13:11), while in major tournaments, the last two matches were true trench battles at the World Championships.In Singapore last summer, the &ldquo;Azzurri&rdquo; advanced after a penalty shootout, while in Fukuoka two years earlier, Serbia&rsquo;s new generation showed its character and eliminated Italy in a match that signaled their comeback.Back then, Uro&scaron; Stevanović&rsquo;s squad played their best game, and after penalties, they knocked Italy out of the World Championship semifinals (15:14).There are no unknowns between the two teams: Serbia retains most of its squad from previous tournaments, while Italy came to this championship with a significantly younger roster and without several players who competed in the previous World Championship in Singapore.Coach Uro&scaron; Stevanović does not hide the path the team has taken.&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t know what to expect from ourselves. The start wasn&rsquo;t good, but that match was exactly what we needed to change our mentality. We grew from game to game. Against Spain and Hungary, we played at the highest level. I hope we can stay at that level,&rdquo; Serbia&rsquo;s coach said at the press conference ahead of the semifinals.Slobodan Sandić / Vaterpolo savez SrbijeHe is also aware of the strength of the rival.&ldquo;Italy is a young team, aggressive, motivated. They have nothing to lose and will give 200 percent. We have to find an answer,&rdquo; Stevanović said.Serbia&rsquo;s captain, Nikola Jak&scaron;ić, remembers what the Arena looked like ten years ago. He remembers the roar, the emotion, and the moment when history from the stands merged with the pool.&ldquo;I hope for full stands, just like back then. That support means everything to us.&rdquo;He also believes that their true face is yet to come.&ldquo;We improved from match to match. I hope that against Italy, it will be our best game.&rdquo;On the other side, Alessandro Campagna leads a young Italian team, but without complexes. His words are full of respect for Serbia, but also faith in his own team.&ldquo;I know the Serbian mentality. When everyone thinks they have fallen&mdash;they play their best. I admire them. My best friends, with whom I played and experienced a lot in water polo, are Milanović and Rađenović, wonderful people. I&rsquo;m really glad to compete against such great athletes.&rdquo;Slobodan Sandić / Vaterpolo savez SrbijeItaly&rsquo;s captain, Marco Del Lungo, knows how much the details matter.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a pleasure to play against Serbia. I played here ten years ago as well. For us, it&rsquo;s important to be mentally prepared. That&rsquo;s the key factor for this match. We gathered in December, and from the very first training, we wanted to prove ourselves. I know what a semifinal is. The details will make the difference. This is a semifinal, and everything matters for the win.&rdquo;And that&rsquo;s precisely where Serbia has something that can&rsquo;t be trained&mdash;experience, character, and memories of victories that were born in silence but celebrated with the roar of an entire nation.On Friday evening, it won&rsquo;t be just seven players in the pool who will play. The stands will play. Memories will play. Serbia will play.For the final, and for the medal. For another night when everyone remembers who we are. View this post on Instagram A post shared by European Aquatics Water Polo (@euro.waterpolo)

A night when Serbia reminds everyone who and what it is

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