Founded | 2006 |
---|---|
First season | 2006–07 |
No. of teams | 12 |
Country | Serbia |
Confederation | LEN (Europe) |
Most recent champion(s) | Novi Beograd (3rd title) |
Most titles | Partizan (29 titles) |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
International cup(s) | LEN Champions League LEN Euro Cup LEN Challenger Cup |
Official website | waterpoloserbia.org |
The Serbian Super League is the highest level of men's water polo in Serbia and it is organized by the Water polo Federation of Serbia.
Domestic water polo club competition in Serbia started in 1921, three years after Kingdom of Serbia became Kingdom of Yugoslavia, although officially was known as Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes between 1918 and 1929. It was the first season of the Yugoslav Water Polo Championship which was played regularly from 1921 to 1991 with only exception being between 1940 and 1944 when the league was halted because of the Second World War. The first edition was won by VK Polet Sombor, which will also become Yugoslav champion in 1922 and 1924. However, the period referring to the kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1921 and 1940 was dominated by VK Jug Dubrovnik who won 14 out of 20 editions.
The later period referring to SFR Yugoslavia between 1945 and 1991 was dominated by VK Partizan who won 17 out of 46 editions.
In the early 1990s several of the Yugoslav republics broke-away and in 1992 Serbia and Montenegro formed the FR Yugoslavia Water Polo Championship which would be played until 2006. Since in 2003 the country was renamed from FR Yugoslavia to Serbia and Montenegro, the league also followed the name changed properly in its 3 last editions. During this period another Serbian club came into prominence, VK Bečej, which won 6 out of 15 editions. Montenegrin clubs won 5 editions, 4 of which were won in the consecutive 4 last editions by PVK Jadran Herceg-Novi, and one by VK Budva in 1994. The rest of the editions were won by Serbian clubs, namely VK Crvena zvezda in 1992 and 1993, and VK Partizan in 1995 and 2002.
In 2006 Montenegro declares independence and, consequently, the Serbian Water Polo League A and Montenegrin First League of Water Polo are formed. In the Serbian League A VK Partizan restored its domination by winning the first 6 consecutive editions.
The following 12 clubs compete in the Serbian Water Polo League A during the 2023–24 season:
Serbian Water Polo League A | ||||||||||||||||
Team | City | Founded | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Novi Beograd | Belgrade | 2015 | ||||||||||||||
Radnički | Kragujevac | 2012 | ||||||||||||||
Crvena zvezda | Belgrade | 1945 | ||||||||||||||
Šabac | Šabac | 1990 | ||||||||||||||
Vojvodina | Novi Sad | 1935 | ||||||||||||||
Partizan | Belgrade | 1946 | ||||||||||||||
Nais | Niš | 2011 | ||||||||||||||
Stari Grad | Belgrade | 2005 | ||||||||||||||
Valis | Valjevo | 1993 | ||||||||||||||
Proleter | Zrenjanin | 2000 | ||||||||||||||
Novobeogradski Vukovi | Belgrade | 2015 | ||||||||||||||
Taš | Belgrade | 2009 |
Serbian Water Polo League A (Prva A liga Srbije u vaterpolu) | |||
---|---|---|---|
season | Champion | Runner-up | 3rd |
2006–07 | Partizan | Crvena zvezda | Vojvodina |
2007–08 | Partizan | Crvena zvezda | Vojvodina |
2008–09 | Partizan | Vojvodina | Nais |
2009–10 | Partizan | Vojvodina | Beograd |
2010–11 | Partizan | Vojvodina | Crvena zvezda |
2011–12 | Partizan | Crvena zvezda | Vojvodina |
2012–13 | Crvena zvezda | Radnički | Partizan |
2013–14 | Crvena zvezda | Radnički | Partizan |
2014–15 | Partizan | Radnički | Crvena zvezda |
2015–16 | Partizan | Crvena zvezda | Radnički |
2016–17 | Partizan | Vojvodina | Crvena zvezda |
2017–18 | Partizan | Crvena zvezda | Šabac |
2018–19 | Šabac | Crvena zvezda | Radnički |
2019–20 | Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||
2020–21 | Radnički | Novi Beograd | Crvena zvezda |
2021–22 | Novi Beograd | Radnički | Partizan |
2022–23 | Novi Beograd | Crvena zvezda | Radnički |
2023–24 | Novi Beograd | Radnički | Šabac |
Team | Championships | Years Won |
---|---|---|
Partizan | 29 | 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1995, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
Bečej | 6 | 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 |
Crvena zvezda | 4 | 1992, 1993, 2013, 2014 |
Novi Beograd | 3 | 2022, 2023, 2024 |
Polet Sombor | 3 | 1921, 1922, 1924 |
Šabac | 1 | 2019 |
Radnički Kragujevac | 1 | 2021 |
LEN Champions League
Team | Winner | Years Won |
---|---|---|
Partizan | 7 | 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1976, 2011 |
Bečej | 1 | 2000 |
Crvena zvezda | 1 | 2013 |
LEN Cup Winner's Cup
Team | Winner | Years Won |
---|---|---|
Partizan | 1 | 1991 |
LEN Euro Cup
Team | Winner | Years Won |
---|---|---|
Partizan | 1 | 1998 |
Radnički Kragujevac | 1 | 2013 |
LEN Super Cup
Team | Winner | Years Won |
---|---|---|
Partizan | 2 | 1991, 2011 |
Crvena zvezda | 1 | 2013 |
COMEN Cup
Team | Winner | Years Won |
---|---|---|
Partizan | 1 | 1989 |
Vladimir Vujasinović is a Serbian professional water polo head coach and former player. He currently serves as head coach of VK Novi Beograd.
Dejan Savić is a Serbian professional water polo coach and former player. Dejan Savić is a former head coach of the Serbian national team and Crvena zvezda
Aleksandar Ćirić is a Serbian retired water polo player and current head coach of European powerhouse Olympiacos Women's Water Polo Team, who played for two Olympic bronze medal squads, one for FR Yugoslavia at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, the other for Serbia at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and one Olympic silver medal squad for Serbia and Montenegro at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. His most notable achievements during his club career are: winning the Euroleague with VK Bečej in 2000, when he gained the title of MVP of competition; and four LEN Cups, three with Brescia and one with VK Radnički Kragujevac.
Igor Milanović is a Serbian professional water polo head coach and former player. He is considered one of the best water polo players of all time. Milanović had an illustrious professional career spanning twenty years.
Košarkaški klub Crvena zvezda, usually referred to as KK Crvena zvezda or simply Crvena zvezda, currently named Crvena zvezda Meridianbet for sponsorship reasons, is a men's professional basketball club based in Belgrade, Serbia and the major part of the Red Star multi-sports club. The club is a founding member and shareholder of the Adriatic Basketball Association, and competes in the Serbian League (KLS), the ABA League, and the continental top-tier EuroLeague.
Sport in Montenegro revolves mostly around team sports, such as football, basketball, handball, and volleyball. Other sports involved are boxing, tennis, swimming, judo, karate, athletics, table tennis, and chess.
Sport in Serbia includes football, basketball, handball, tennis, volleyball, and water polo. Professional sports in Serbia are organized by sporting federations and leagues. Serbian professional sports includes multi-sport clubs, biggest and most successful of which are Crvena Zvezda, Partizan, Radnički and Beograd in Belgrade, Vojvodina in Novi Sad, Radnički in Kragujevac, Spartak in Subotica. Serbia had successes in basketball, winning the Olympic silver medal and Nikola Jokic winning 3 NBA MVPs, as well as the 2023 NBA Championship and Finals MVP, Novak Djokovic winning a record setting 24th Grand Slam, and in handball, volleyball and water polo as well.
The Montenegrin First League of Water Polo is the national professional water polo league in Montenegro. It was established in 2006. shortly after Montenegro declared its independence from Serbia and Montenegro. It is organized by the Water Polo and Swimming Federation of Montenegro.
Three clubs from Montenegrin League are playing in Adriatic Water Polo League.
Vaterpolo klub Partizan is a professional water polo club based in Belgrade, Serbia. VK Partizan is one of the sports clubs in Serbia that is part of sport society Partizan. As of 2023–24 season, the club competes in the Serbian League and Regional Water Polo League.
Duško Pijetlović is a Serbian water polo center forward for VK Novi Beograd. He was a member of the Serbia men's national water polo teams that won Olympic gold medals in 2016 and 2020, and bronze medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. He held the world title in 2009 and 2015 and the European title in 2006, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. Pijetlović won three consecutive Euroleague titles with three teams: in 2011 with Partizan in 2012 with Pro Recco and in 2013 with Crvena Zvezda.
Nikola Rađen is a Serbian water polo player who plays for Serbian club Crvena zvezda. He was a member of the Serbia men's national water polo team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He won with Serbia the 2009 World Championship as well as the 2012 Eindhoven European Championship. Rađen has also won 2 LEN Euroleagues with his former clubs Partizan Raiffeisen (2011) and VK Crvena zvezda (2013).
Andrija Prlainović is a Serbian professional water polo player widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever. He was a member of the Serbia men's national water polo teams that won bronze medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and gold medals in 2016 and 2020. He also held the world title in 2009 and 2015 and the European title in 2006, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. In 2011, he won the LEN Euroleague with VK Partizan and in 2013 with Red Star Belgrade, where he was one of the best scorers.
Denis Šefik is Serbian water polo player who played for VK Radnički. He represented the Serbia and Montenegro national team until 2006, Serbian national team until 2008 and since 2010, represents the Montenegrin national team.
VK Crvena zvezda is a professional water polo club based in Belgrade, Serbia. It is part of the SD Crvena Zvezda sports society. As of 2023–24 season, it competes in the Serbian League and Regional League A1.
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The Yugoslav Water Polo Championship was the premier league competition for men's water polo clubs in Yugoslavia. Originally established in 1921 in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, it ran for almost 20 years before being suspended due to the Second World War and the Invasion of Yugoslavia.
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Andria Bitadze is a Georgian professional water polo player for CC Ortigia and the Georgian national team. Previously he has played for Jadran Herceg Novi, CN Barcelona, VK Crvena Zvezda, Roma vis Nova, WPC Dinamo Tbilisi and Panionios Water Polo Club.
VK Šabac is a professional water polo club based in Šabac, Serbia. As of 2023–24 season, the club competes in the Serbian League and Regional League A1.