Radnicki Kragujevac won the 2025 Regional League.
The Serbian team beat Jadran Split 13:10 in the final of the Final Four in Herceg Novi and added the second Regional League trophy to its treasury (after the one won in Zagreb in 2021). Jadran took the silver medal for the fourth time in a row and will have to wait for its first Regional League title for at least one more year.
Radnicki made a crucial difference in the first half, when it earned a 4-goal lead. In the second half, Jadran reduced the gap to two twice, but couldn’t come closer.
Just like in yesterday’s semifinal against Novi Beograd (the result was the same—13:10), the members of the Georgian national team led Radnicki’s attack. Valiko Dadvani repeated yesterday’s performance, scoring four goals, and Dusan Vasic netted three. Zvonimir Butic scored four for Jadran.
Valiko Dadvani All photos by Vuk Ilic/PVK Jadran Herceg Novi
2024/25 Regional League, Final
Jadran S – Radnicki 10:13 (1:2, 3:5, 3:4, 3:2)
Jadran Split: Butic 4, Cagalj 1, Marinic Kragic 1, Berehulak 1, Fatovic 1, Duzevic 1, Buselic 1.
Radnicki: Dadvani 4, Vasic 3, N.Jaksic 2, Murisic 2, Pijetlovic 1, S.Rasovic 1.
The game began with several missed opportunities and lost balls on both sides of the field. Antonio Duzevic broke the deadlock in the 5th minute, but Nikola Jaksic leveled at 1:1 from a penalty shot shortly after. Dadvani gave Radnicki a 2:1 advantage in the 7th minute.
The Serbs opened the second period with two power-play goals and went to 4:1. Buselic managed to score during a 6-on-5 attack, halting Radnicki’s 4:0 scoring streak. However, the team from Kragujevac maintained control of the match, and Dadvani and Jaksic further widened the gap to 6:2. Fatovic scored to bring Jadran closer at 3:6 in the 16th minute, but Rasovic responded immediately. In the final moments of the second quarter, Butic successfully converted a man-up opportunity just nine seconds before the break. So, Jadran trailed 4:7 before the third quarter.
Zovic (Jadran) and Rasovic (Radnicki)
In the third quarter, the teams continued trading goals. Radnicki regained a four-goal lead (8:4, 9:5, 10:6). Jadran replied on each of the three occasions. Still, the Croats had no response after Murisic scored an action goal for 11:7.
Radnicki headed into the final period with a 4-goal lead, but the road to the trophy was still long. Jadran was a better rival in the fourth period and halved the deficit. In the 29th minute, Zvonimir Butic converted a penalty for 9:11. Radnicki forced a man-up in its next possession. The attack was finished by the most experienced player in the pool, Dusko Pijetlovic, who scored for 12:9. Berehulak made it 10:12 from a counterattack with 01:48 minutes remaining. Still, Radnicki saved the victory. Everything was decided 13 seconds before the final buzzer when Dusan Vasic found the net from a counterattack to set the final score.
Several players of Radnicki won their second or third Regional League title. But, the record-holder in the winning team is Dusko Pijetlovic, who has won four trophies with three different clubs (Pro Recco, Novi Beograd and Radnicki). Only Sandro Sukno has a richer treasury. The 2017 Total Player won five Regional Leagues with three clubs (Jug, Pro Recco, Primorje).
All winners
2009: Jug
2010: Jadran HN
2011: Jadran HN
2012: Pro Recco
2013: Primorje
2014: Primorje
2015: Primorje
2016: Jug
2017: Jug
2018: Jug
2019: Mladost
2020:Mladost
2021: Radnicki
2022: Novi Beograd
2023: Jug
2024: Novi Beograd
2025: Radnicki
