Serbian Water Polo League A
The Serbian Water polo League A (Serbian: Прва А лига Србије у ватерполу, romanized: Prva A liga Srbije u vaterpolu) is the highest level of men's water polo in Serbia and it is organized by the Water polo Federation of Serbia.
Founded | 2006 |
---|---|
First season | 2006–07 |
Country | Serbia |
Confederation | LEN (Europe) |
Number of teams | 10 |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Domestic cup(s) | Serbian Water polo Cup |
International cup(s) | LEN Champions League LEN Euro Cup |
Current champions | Novi Beograd (2022–23, 2nd title) |
Most championships | Partizan (29 titles) |
Website | waterpoloserbia.org |
History
Kingdom of Yugoslavia / SFR Yugoslavia
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.
FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro
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.
Serbia
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.
Current teams
The following 10 clubs compete in the Serbian Water Polo League A during the 2021–22 season:
Serbian Water Polo League A | ||||||||||||||||
Team | City | Arena | Founded | Colours | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Novi Beograd | New Belgrade | SRC "11. April" | 2015 | |||||||||||||
Radnički Kragujevac | Kragujevac | SC Park | 2012 | |||||||||||||
Crvena zvezda | Belgrade | SRC "11. April" | 1945 | |||||||||||||
Šabac | Šabac | City Swimming Pool Šabac | 1990 | |||||||||||||
Vojvodina | Novi Sad | SC Slana bara | 1935 | |||||||||||||
Partizan | Belgrade | SC Banjica | 1946 | |||||||||||||
Nais | Niš | SC Čair | 2011 | |||||||||||||
Zemun | Belgrade | Pinki Zemun | 2008 | |||||||||||||
Valis | Valjevo | SRC "Petnica" | 2011 | |||||||||||||
Proleter | Zrenjanin | SRC "Jug Bazen" | 2000 |
Champions
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 |
Performances
All–time champions
- 1921 to present
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 |
Polet Sombor | 3 | 1921, 1922, 1924 |
Novi Beograd | 2 | 2022, 2023 |
Šabac | 1 | 2019 |
Radnički Kragujevac | 1 | 2021 |
Serbian water polo clubs in European competitions
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 |
Notable players
- Filip Filipović
- Nikola Kuljača
- Dušan Mandić
- Stefan Mitrović
- Gojko Pijetlović
- Duško Pijetlović
- Andrija Prlainović
- Nikola Rađen
- Dejan Savić
- Slobodan Soro
- Vanja Udovičić
- Vladimir Vujasinović
- Danilo Tenenbojm
- Nino Blažević
- Damir Burić
- Marko Martinić
- Josip Vrlić
- Gijom Dino
- Beso Akhvlediani
- Archil Bagashvili
- Gela Koiava
- Theodoros Chatzitheodorou
- Angelos Vlachopoulos
- Arshia Almasi
- Kohei Inaba
- Roman Pilipenko
- Alexey Shmider
- Rustam Ukumanov
- Predrag Jokić
- Denis Šefik
- Zdravko Radić
- Aleksandar Radović
- Boris Zloković
- Stevie Camilleri
- Bilal Gbadamassi
- Lucas Gielen
- Ivan Gusarov
- Matej Nastran
- Robin Pleyer
- Ryan Bailey
- John Mann
- Michael Rozenthal
- Andy Stevens
External links
- Official website (in Serbian)
- Water Polo news in Serbia at vaterpolovesti.com (in Serbian)
- Serbian Water Polo League A at waterpoloworld.com (in English)