Last weekend, Pro Recco crowned another successful season with its 11th trophy in the Champions League. For the third year in a row, the Italian giant triumphed in Belgrade, and for the third time, Aleksandar Ivovic was the first to lift the trophy as the team captain.
By winning the 2023 Champions League, Ivovic entered a small circle of great players who won the Champions League five times.
He has played for Pro Recco since 2010 (with a one-season break – in 2012/13, he wore the cap of Jug). His first Champions League triumph dates back to 2012. Ivovic won the second title in 2015. Then came the series of three consecutive trophies in Belgrade.
But, this season’s title differs from Ivovic’s previous four. Recco wasn’t so dominant in the group stage. It finished 2nd in Group A.
We have already written that the current season was one of Recco’s worst group stages in the history of the Champions League. The club, composed of great stars, is used to finishing atop the group. This time it suffered two defeats, which happened for the first time since 2014. In the years between these two, Recco had perfect records in the group stage or was defeated only once per season.
Unusual group stage
The new-old champion opened the group phase with a 7:9 loss to Olympiacos in Piraeus. In the middle of the season, Barceloneta edged out Recco in Milan 9:8.
“I’m not looking for an excuse, but we played both games in inconvenient periods that were packed with demanding matches. In the middle of November, we played three important away games in eight days – against Brescia in the Italian Championship, Olympiacos in the Champions League and Sabadell in the European Super Cup. I didn’t play these matches due to injury, but I remember that, before that series, we talked with coach Sandro Sukno, who said that playing at the highest possible level for all three games was practically impossible and that it would be a success if we achieved two victories. And we succeeded in that. We lost only against Olympiacos, which was the least painful of the three possible defeats.”, Aleksandar Ivovic says in an interview with Total Waterpolo
We lost to Barceloneta in a match played only three days after the F8 Italian Cup, where we won the trophy. I repeat I’m not looking for an excuse, but both defeats are partly the result of circumstances.
For the first time since 2014, Pro Recco did not go to the Final Eight as the winner of the group, but that did not shake our self- confidence. The most important thing is that we showed our best when it was most important – in the Final Eight.”
Aleksandar Ivovic Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Total Waterpolo
Pro Recco dominated the Final Eight in Belgrade, recording convincing victories in all three matches. It seemed it cruised to the trophy. Of course, it was more challenging than it looked if you knew only the results.
“The final results say it was easy. However, all three opponents were challenging. We opened the tournament with an 8:4 victory over Ferencvaros, but in the middle of the third quarter, we had only a one-goal lead (5:4).
In the semifinals, after 2:5, we beat Vouliagmeni by 12:8. Many would say we underestimated Vouliagmeni, but I think the opposite. Given that anything but our victory would have been a surprise, the role of a big favorite burdened us too much, so we didn’t start as expected. Vouliagmeni proved it was a quality team. Still, we managed to find our rhythm in time and secured the victory with a 7:0 run. The match could have been more exciting at the finish if Vouliagmeni had had a slightly longer bench and a more experienced team.”
The best when it’s needed – great performance in the final
In the final, Recco shone in a duel with an respectable team of Novi Beograd. Aleksandar Ivovic was outstanding in the gold-medal game. He led the team excellently as a captain, did a great job in defense, and scored a few of crucial goals when needed.
“The match against Novi Belgrade has been one of the best, if not the best Recco’s performance in the last three years. Everything in our play worked as it should and was at a high level.”, Ivovic underlines.
Recco built a three-goal advantage already in the first quarter. Then, in the second quarter, it played for four minutes with one player fewer due to a red card, shown to Echenique, and in that interval, the Italians scored two and conceded one goal.
One of the unique events of the final was Aleksandar Ivovic’s long-distance goal from 9 meters for a 7:3 lead. It was in a 5 on 6 attack during a four-minute exclusion in the 2nd quarter.“Pro Recco played remarkably maturely. The teamwork produced the result. Our great self-confidence came to the fore and was strengthened even more during the four minutes when we had a man fewer in the water.”
Changes in Recco’s policy for better atmosphere
A day before the Final Eight, Ivovic displayed great self-confidence at the official press conference. He said that he believed Recco could win another trophy and underlined that the atmosphere on the team is great. He emphasized the team spirit in the interview with Total Waterpolo,too.
“The atmosphere in the team is excellent. This was partly influenced by the club’s new policy. Earlier, several players came at the club and left every summer. There were many transfers, especially after seasons in which no European titles were won. Coach changes were also often. All this affected the atmosphere in the team. In the last few years, the situation has changed. There are few changes in the team between the seasons, which has a positive effect on the players and the team.”
Pro Recco, European champion 2022 Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Total Waterpolo
Ivovic won his first Champions League title in 2012 when he was one of 11 foreigners in Recco’s roster for the Final Four in Oradea. That season, Reko had 25 players under contract, and there was no place in the team at the Final Four for many members of the Italian national team, who played in the Olympic final a few months after.
“Such a situation was unsustainable. A player who does not get a chance to play is dissatisfied. At that time, half of the members of Pro Recco were supernumerary. Everything is different now. We came to the Final Eight with 15 players. The youngest player and the third center were out of the team in the final. The two understood the reasons for the coach’s decision and accepted it. There is no longer the players’ dissatisfaction with their status in the team. Everyone contributes to the results.”
Unlike Pro Recco, the Italians’ rival in the final had extraordinary personal problems. It’s well known that Dusan Mandic was on the stands because the club suspended him two months ago.
“It was hard for me to see such a player like Mandic is to watch the tournament from the stands. As far as we know, he was out of the team due to bad shape. He didn’t commit any disciplinary violation, which would be a valid reason for a long-term suspension. It’s a shame he didn’t play in the Final Eight. He didn’t deserve that. I know that guy very well. We were teammates for six years. He is a polite man who lives for water polo.”
Meanwhile, Mandic left Novi Beograd and joined Ferencvaros.
Ivovic criticized the club’s decision regarding the 2021 Total Player, but he respects Novi Beograd:
“It’s very good for water polo that another quality and well-organized club appeared on the scene. Novi Beograd deserves praise for excellent organizational efforts in the Final Eight. The team reached the final in its first two appearances in the Champions League, which is a result we have to respect.”
Crucial crowns in 2012, 2021 and 2022
Let’s go back to history. Since, Ivovic’s first arrival at Pro Recco in 2010, Recco has won five European titles. The team has changed significantly in the last 13 years. The club has changed its head coach nine times since 2012.
5 Pro Recco won five European titles in the past 11 seasons. Ivovic is the only one who was part of all five triumphs.
. The inevitable question is which of the five trophies is the most significant for his career.
“I would single out the first and the title won in 2021. As usual, the first title in the career evokes pleasant memories. But, at that time, Recco was too strong for all rivals in Italy and Europe. There was no question if we would win all the trophies. Meanwhile, the competition both in Europe and Italy has become stronger. Therefore, all championships and cups have become more interesting. There have been more challenging games for Pro Recco. Matches with demanding rivals have forced us to put more effort into winning. Each success became more significant than the previous one if it was more difficult to achieve.”
Pro Recco, the 2021 European champion Photo:LEN-F8 Belgrade.rs
After 2015, we didn’t win the European title for six years. I have been getting older and older, and I began to doubt whether I would win the Champions League again. The title we clinched in a “booble tournament “in Belgrade in the Covid-era came as a big relief after six years of failing to reach the Champions League trophies. Besides, just before the Final Eight, we lost to Brescia in the final of the Italian Championships. But, we managed to overcome that situation and did our best in Belgrade.”
Ivovic has no doubts about the answer to the question, “Which title was the most difficult to achieve?”
“It was the one in 2022. We had three very challenging matches in three days. First, we narrowly beat Barceloneta in the quarterfinals. Ferencvaros offered a strong resistance in the semifinals. At the end, the final match with Novi Beograd was a new thriller. Novi Beograd played excellently. Gergo Zalanki scored an equalizer 12 seconds from the end, and we won in a penalty shootout. That title is, in my opinion, one of the most significant trophies in Recco’s history.
Aleksandar Ivovic Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Total Waterpolo
Ivovic has had a great career, but he will continue to chase the trophies for one more year, at least. He will start the season in the Maltese Summer League in a few days, playing for Neptunes. A new series of challenges with Pro Recco will begin in the autumn.
“I extended the contract with Recco for one more season. Next year, we’ll determine plans”, Ivovic concludes and doesn’t hide that he is considering retirement. But, even though he will turn 38 in February, he is still one of the best players in the world.
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