Italy, Spain, Montenegro, Greece announce teams for Barcelona

Almost all national coaches announced their squads for the 33rd European Championships (Barcelona, July 14 – 28). Some of them unveiled their choices earlier, a lot of the coaches did it today and yesterday. We are still waiting for Ivica Tucak, Croatia head coach, who will disclose names of 13 players after this evening’s match against Hungary

ITALY

An experienced Pro Recco’s center-forward Mateo Aicardi won’t play at the 33rd European Championships. After a season marked by injuries, he decided to give up of the competition, because he doesn’t feel well prepared for tough matches.

Allesandro Campagna, Italy head coach, announced the squad today. There were no surprises in his choice. Italy will play with one center-forward Michael Bodegas. Renzuto Iodice, Zeno Bertoli, Guillermo Molina and Nicholas Prescutti will rotate on the center-forward position in moments when Bodegas won’t be in the pool.

Alessandro Campagna said that Aicardi’s lack must change a style of play of the team.

We are in a phase of transition, we are on the half of the way towards the 2020 Olympic Games. I think that seven teams will fight for medals because Spain, Greece and Montenegro have approached super favorites (Serbia, Italy, Croatia, Hungary)- Alessandro Campagna said

Goalkeepers: Marco Del Lungo (Brescia), Gianmarco Nicosia (Sport Management). Field players: Zeno Bertoli, Nicholas Presciutti (AN Brescia), Pietro Figlioli, Andrea Fondelli, Valentino Gallo (BPM Sport Management), Alessandro Velotto (Canottieri Naples), Michael Alexandre Bodegas, Francesco Di Fulvio, Oscar Echenique Gonzalo, Guillermo Molina Rios, Vincenzo Renzuto Iodice (Pro Recco).

MONTENEGRO

Montenegro isn’t going to compete with the same team which won the title in this season’s World League. Three of 13 players who won the gold medal in Budapest will miss the European Championships: Slaven Kandic (goalie), Stefan Vidovic, Bojan Bancevic. Vladimir Gojkovic, Montenegro head coach, replaced them by three experienced players: Milos Scepanovic (goalkeeper), Aleksandar Radovic and Uros Cuckovic.

Goalkeepers: Dejan Lazovic, Milos Scepanovic. Field players: Drasko Brguljan, Dragan Draskovic, Marko Petkovic, Djuro Radovic, Aleksandar Radovic, Mladjan Janovic, Bogdan Djurdjic, Aleksandar Ivovic, Sasa Misic, Uros Cuckovic, Vladan Spaic.

SPAIN

As usual, more than a half players of the Spanish national team come from Barceloneta. Nine players from the club that has dominated the Spanish water polo for years have been included in the squad made by head coach David Martin.

The biggest star in the home team is Felipe Perrone, who returned to the Spanish national squad, after playing for Brazil. Perrone’s “new debut” was the Super Final tournament of the 2018 World League in Budapest, where the Spaniards took bronze.

Goalkeepers: Daniel López-Pinedo (Barceloneta), Eduardo Lorrio (Barcelona). Field players: Alberto Munárriz (Barceloneta), Álvaro Granados (Barceloneta), Miguel de Toro (Mediterrani), Marc Mingüell (Mediterrani), Marc Larumbe (Barceloneta), Sergi Cabanas ( Sabadell), Fran Fernández (Barceloneta), Roger Tahull (Barceloneta), Felipe Perrone (Barceloneta), Blai Mallarach (Barceloneta), Alejandro Bustos (Barceloneta).

GREECE

Greece will compete without two players who won the 4th place at the 17th World Championships in Budapest. Evangelos Delakas and Kyriakos Pontiekas won’t travel to Barcelona. Vlachos Theodoris, Greece head coach, replaced them by two 19-years-old teenagers Dimitris Nikolaidis and Dimitrios Skoumpakis

Goalkeepers: Kostas Flegkas, Emmanouil Zerdevas Field players: Kostas Genidounias, Georgios Dervisis, Ioannis Fountoulis, Dimitros Skoumpaks, Styllanos Argyropoulos, Dimitrios Nikolaidis, Marios Kapotsis, Christodoulos Kolomvos, Konstantinos Mourikis, Alexandros Gounas , Angelos Vlachopoulos.

33RD EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP, 14-28 JULY 2018, BARCELONA

Men

Group A
Hungary
Italy
Germany
Georgia

Group B
Montenegro
Spain
Malta
France

Group C
Greece
Croatia
Netherlands
Turkey

Group D
Serbia
Russia
Romania
Slovakia

Women

Group A
Netherlands
Italy
Greece
France
Israel
Croatia

Group B
Hungary
Spain
Russia
Serbia
Turkey
Germany

FULL SCHEDULE