Unofficial pieces of information that have been circulated in the last few days have been confirmed.
Novi Beograd has appointed Zivko Gocic as a new head coach. He will succeed Igor Milanovic..
Gocic played for Partizan, Nis, Ortigia, Latina and Szolnok. He played for the national team of Serbia for more than 10 years. Between 2013 and 2016 he was Serbia’s captain. After winning the gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games, he ended his career on the national team .
He led Szolnok’s as a captain to the trophy in the 2017 Champions League. A year after he retired and has worked as a coach since then. He coached Szolnok from 2017 to 2022. Last year, Szolnok won the Hungarian Championships and the LEN Euro Cup with Gocic on the bench.
Gocic was promoted as a new coach at today’s press conference.
Slobodan Soro, the club’s new director (until the beginning of June, he was Novi Beograd’s sports manager), welcomed Gocic and said that Novi Beograd believed that Gocic’s appointment had been the best possible solution for a long-term period.
We have already written about Novi Beograd’s reinforcements. Today, Soro confirmed four new signings. Alvaro Granados (Barceloneta), Dimitrios Skoumpakis (Vouliagmeni), goalkeeper Radoslav Filipovic and Savo Cetkovic (both Sabac) joined Novi Beograd.
Alvaro Granados Photo by Laszlo Balogh
“As for departures, Zivko Gocic will decide who will stay at the club. A contract with Petar Tomic expired”, Soro said, adding that the full team for the new season will probably be presented in September.
After departing from Szolnok, Zivko Gocic was contacted by Spandau 04 and Olympiacos. In the end, he accepted Novi Beograd’s offer and returned to the Serbian water polo after 11 years. He left Partizan in 2011. After that, he played for Latina (Italy) and Szolnok (Hungary), where he started his successful coaching career.
” I decided to come to Novi Beograd primarily because of the club’s highest goals in all competitions. It’s something that the club and I have in common. I have always had the highest ambition as a player and a coach. I’ll do my best to help Novi Beograd achieve its goals.
It will be very difficult to prepare the team for the next season, because of a packed season of the competitions for national teams, which will end in September with the European Championships. Novi Beograd has many players in several national teams. They won’t have much time to rest between the Europeans and the start of the preparations with Novi Beograd. Unfortunately, players will be tired at the end of the summer, because of a packed calendar of FINA’s and LEN’s tournaments. But, all Champions League clubs are in the same situation. “Gocic said.
Slobodan Soro and Zivko Gocic were the teammates in Partizan and in the national team of Serbia Photo: Total Waterpolo
The new coach hasn’t formed a coaching staff yet. But, as he said, Gocic will pick his assistants soon.
Gocic is Novi Beograd’s fourth coach in the last 12 months. Vladimir Vujasinovic started the season. He resigned in January. After Vujasinovic, Dejan Jovovic guided the club for a month. Then, Igor Milanovic arrived. Milanovic left the club after the end of the season. He still hasn’t commented on the reasons why he left.
Partizan, Panathinaikos, Noisy-le-Sec…
Several pieces of information about transfers have arrived from Serbia in the last few days. Most of them have been about Partizan, and only about the departures. Several players left Partizan, which is, as it seems, in a crisis. We already reported that two center-forwards departed – Nemanja Vico (Radnicki) and Petar Velkic (Ortigia). American Alex Bowen will continue his career in France. He will sign a contract with Noisy-le-Sec, the 2nd-placed club in the French League. Another member of the Team USA that played in Partizan – Marko Vavic has been reportedly targeted by Barcelona. An experienced goalkeeper Dimitrije Risticevic moved to Panathinaikos. The second goalie Milan Bulajic went to Valis Valjevo. Andrej Barac joined Sabac. It’s still under the question if Olympic champion Milan Aleksic and Croatian Olympian Lovre Milos will stay at Partizan.
Dusan Vasic, a Serb who plays for Georgia, signed a contract with Crvena Zvezda. He played for Dinamo Tbilsi in the past few seasons.
Pro Recco, Salerno, Anzio…
European champion Pro Recco confirmed its first reinforcement. Matteo Iocchi Gratta, the best scorer of the 2021 World U20 Championship, moved to Pro Recco. Even before the end of the season, there were rumors about Gratta’s transfer from Savona to Pro Recco, and that was confirmed a few days ago. Gratta plays for Italy at the World Championships in Budapest.
Matteo Iocchi Gratta Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Total Waterpolo
After one season spent at Pro Recco, Zeno Bertoli moved to Salerno.
Anzio Waterpolis has brought four Croats: Luka Bajic (Mladost), Goreta, Pelicaric, and Koprcina (all Solaris).
Five newcomers arrive at Mladost Zagreb
As for Mladost Zagreb, besides Bajic, Marin Dasic left the club. He will continue his career in France. Dasic signed for Tourcoing Lille, which will be coached by Petar Kovacevic.
Mladost has signed five players so far. Marko Jelaca, who returns to Mladost from Dinamo Tbilisi. Along with Jelaca, two players from Dinamo arrived – Sandro Adeishvili (center-forward of the national team), and Valik Dadvani. Jelaca and Adeisvili play for Georgia at the World Championships in Budapest. David Mijic came from Kaposvar, while goalkeeper Eugen Sunara came from POSK Split.
Marko Zuvela, a young member of the Croatian national team at the World Championships, renewed the contract with Jug Dubrovnik until 2028.
First-ever Italian player in Spandau
One of the 13 players, picked by Alessandro Campagna for the World Championships, left the Italian League and moved to Germany. Luca Marziali, who played for Telimar Palermo in the last season signed a contract with Spandau 04. He is the first-ever Italian water polo player at Spandau.
Luca Marziali (1991), played over 500 games in the Italian Serie A1 and scored about 350 goals. Last season, he won silver in the LEN Euro Cup with Telimar. In 2011, he made his debut for Italy. He has played seven games for Italy so far.
All news about transfers you can find HERE
