Serbia clinches 4th European crown in a row (VIDEO)

Serbia keeps its European crown! The “Dolphins” beat Spain in a thrilling final game at the 33rd European Championships, which was ended in Barcelona this evening. The Serbs defeated the Spaniards after a penalty shootout 12:10 and won the 4th European title in a row. Hungary still holds the record for the most consecutive gold medals (5 championships: 1926, 1927, 1931, 1934, 1938).

Serbia won the 22nd medal at the Europeans (including as a part of Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro), their record is 8 golds, 9 silvers and 5 bronze medals.

The Spaniards shouldn’t be disappointed. The hosts repeated their best placing at the Europeans. They won the 2nd European silver, after a 10:11 loss to Yugoslavia in the final in Athens in 1991. Spain also has three bronze medals.

Serbia celebrates, but this gold is something special for its captain Filip Filipovic. He became the first water polo player in the history who won 6 European gold medals (2003, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018). Filipovic was voted the MVP of the tournament. Spaniard Daniel Lopez Pineido was chosen for the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

The Serbs (earlier as a part of Yugoslavia) stood on the podium 10 times in the 11 editions they took part since 1997 when they returned on the scene, after a pause due to the United Nations еmbargo and strict sanctions. They missed the medal only in Florence in 1999. Their record since 1997 is 7 golds, 2 silvers and a bronze.

Video source: LEN/Facebook

In the match for the bronze medal Croatia defeated Italy 10:8.

FINAL

The final encounter between Serbia and Spain was a full replay of the 2009 World Championships in Rome. Nine years ago, the result after the 4th quarter was 6:6. The sides were tied after overtime too (7:7). In penalty – shootout Serbia defeated Spain 14:13.

Today, the score after 32 minutes of play was 7:7. Overtime periods aren’t in the rules anymore, so penalty shootout started after the 4th period. Just like in Rome, Serbia was successful and celebrated a 12:10 win (7:7 and 5:3 in the series of penalties).

The final was a battle of strong defenses from the beginning. The only goal in the first quarter was scored by Mallarach in the 5th minute. The hosts, boosted by a big support of their fans, held Serbia scoreless until the first minute in the 2nd period, when Prlainovic broke Spain’s goalie Lopez. By the middle of the period, Spain earned a 2-goal lead – 3:1 (Granados and Perrone), but the Serbs came back and leveled the score as Aleksic and Mitrovic found the net. The Spaniards had an advantage at halftime. Their biggest star Felipe Perrone netted for 4:3 just as the buzzer sounded for the end of the 2nd quarter.

Early in the second half, Spain earned a new lead 2-goal lead 5:3 (Del Toro). The Olympic champions leveled again (Cuk and Mandic) and finally went ahead 19 seconds before the last break (Prlainovic). In the next attack, Munnariz hit the back of the net from a nice lob and returned the battle at the start (6:6).

Defenses were superb in the 4th period. Jaksic pulled the Serbs in front 7:6 (05.43 before the end), but Mallarach immediately equaled. The sides had their chances in the remaining time, but there were no goals. The penalty shootout decided everything. All Serbs (Filipovic, Prlainovic, Aleksic, Mandic, Cuk) hit the back of the net. On the other side Perrone, Munnariz and Larumbe scored, while Fernandez hit the post in the 3rd series.

FOR PLACES 3 – 8

The 1st quarter decided the outcome of the match for the bronze medal. Croatia ruled the field in the opening minutes and earned a 4:0 lead by the end of the 1st period. The Italians started climbing back in the 2nd period and with two goals in their first two possessions in the quarter came to 2:4. Soon, Croatia went 6:2 up. In the remaining time, it was a hard battle with a lot of faults and exclusions. The Croats were excluded 20 times including two red cards. The Italians were sent off 13 times (including one red card).

The “Barracudas” maintained an advantage, which was never smaller than three goals until the last minute. They played without their head coach Ivica Tucak. He watched the match from a tribune because of the red card in the semifinal clash against Serbia. Tucak’s assistants did a good job. Croatia didn’t lose control. In the middle of the fourth quarter, they built a 4-goal lead once more (10:6). Italy scored two goals in the last two minutes, but it was too late. Croatia celebrated a 10:8 win and clinched its fourth medal at the ECH, after the gold in 2010, and silver medals in 1999 and 2001.

The Greeks took the 5th place as they beat Montenegro 8:6. It was a hard battle between two equal rivals. Greece was in front for most of the time, while Montenegro managed to equal the score in the middle of the 4th period (6:6). The Greeks found the net twice in the remaining time for a 8:6 win.

The Greeks took the 5th place as they beat Montenegro 8:6. It was a hard battle between two equal rivals. Greece was in front for most of the time, while Montenegro managed to equal the score in the middle of the 4th period (6:6). The Greeks found the net twice in the remaining time for an 8:6 win.

Hungary completed a series of disappointments by losing to Russia in the match for the 7th place. The Russians controlled the match. For the last time, the rivals were tied in the 14th minute (3:3). Russia soon jumped to a 6:3 lead, while it was 8:4 up before the last eight minutes. Hungary dominated the 4th period, but it wasn’t able to secure a penalty-shootout. Vamos scored for 8:9 in the last minute. Batori had a chance to equal 3 seconds before the end, but he hit the post. Russia won 9:8.

The eight place is one of the lowest Hungary’s placements in the history of the European Championships. The Hungarians have competed for 32 times (they missed the Europeans in 1950). They have secured a spot among top 4 teams 26 times, while their worst rank was the 9th place in Bonn in 1989.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, JULY 28

Final

SERBIA 12:10 SPAIN
(0:1, 3:3, 3:2, 1:1, 5:3)

Serbia: Prlainovic 2, Mandic, Cuk, Aleksic, Jaksic, Mitrovic.
Spain: Perrone 2, Mallarach 2, Munarriz, Granados, Del Toro.

For 3rd place

CROATIA 10:8 ITALY
(4:0, 3:5, 2:1, 1:2)

Croatia: Fatovic 3, Loncar 2, Buslje 2, Jokovic, Buljubasic, Garcia.
Italy: Di Fulvio 2, Gallo 2, Molina, Figlioli, Renzuto, Presciutti.

For 5th place

MONTENEGRO 6:8 GREECE (
1:2, 3:3, 1:1, 1:2)

Montenegro: Ivovic 3, Petkovic, Dj. Radovic, Spaic.
Greece: Kolomvos 2, Gounas 2, Vlachopoulos 2, Skoumpakis 2.

For 7th place

HUNGARY 8:9 RUSSIA
(1:2, 2:3, 1:3, 4:1)

Hungary:Vamos 3, Batori 2, Zalnaki, Erdelyi, Bedo.
Russia: Kholod 3, Nagaev 2, Suchkov, Andryukov, Kharkhov, Shepelev.

FINAL STANDINGS

1 Serbia: 1 Gojko Pijetlovic, 2 Dusan Mandic, 3 Viktor Rasovic, 4 Sava Randjelovic, 5 Milos Cuk, 6 Dusko Pijetlovic, 7 Nemanja Vico, 8 Milan Aleksic, 9 Nikola Jaksic, 10 Filip Filipovic (c), 11 Andrija Prlainovic, 12 Stefan Mitrovic, 13 Branislav Mitrovic. Head coach: Dejan Savic

2 Spain: 1 Daniel Lopez Pineido, 2 Alberto Munarriz Egana, 3 Alvaro Granados Orgeta, 4 Miguel Del Toro Dominguez, 5 Marc Minguell Alferet, 6 Marc Larumbe Gonfaus, 7 Sergi Cabanas Pegado, 8 Francisco Fernandez Miranda, 9 Roger Tahill Compte, 10 Felipe Perrone Rocha, 11 Blai Mallarach Guell, 12 Alejandro Bustos Sanchez, 13 Eduardo Lorrio Bejar. Head coach: David Martin.

3 Croatia: 1 Marko Bijac, 2 Marko Macan, 3 Loren Fatovic, 4 Luka Loncar, 5 Maro Jokovic, 6 Ivan Buljubasic, 7 Ante Vukicevic, 8 Andro Buslje, 9. Lovre Milos, 10 Josip Vrlic, 11 Andjelo Setka, 12 Javier Garcia Gadea, 13 Ivan Marcelic

4 Italy
5 Greece
6 Montenegro
7 Russia
8 Hungary
9 Germany
10 Netherlands
11 Romania
12 France
13 Georgia
14 Slovakia
15 Turkey
16 Malta

ALL MEDALS

1926 Budapest (Hungary)
Hungary
Sweden
Germany

1927 Bologna (Italy)
Hungary
France
Belgium

1931 Paris (France)
Hungary
Germany
Austria

1934 Magdeburg (Germany)
Hungary
Germany
Belgium

1938 London (Great Britain)
Hungary
Germany
The Netherlands

1947 Monaco (Monaco)
Italy
Sweden
Belgium

1950 Vienna (Austria)
The Netherlands
Sweden
Yugoslavia

1954 Turin (Italy)
Hungary
Yugoslavia
Italy

1958 Budapest (Hungary)
Hungary
Yugoslavia
USSR

1962 Leipzig (GDR)
Hungary
USSR and Yugoslavia (two silver medals)

1966 Utrecht (The Netherlands)
USSR
East Germany
Yugoslavia

1970 Barcelona (Spain)
USSR
Hungary
Yugoslavia

1974 Vienna (Austria)
Hungary
USSR
Yugoslavia

1977 Jonköping (Sweden)
Hungary
Yugoslavia
Italy

1981 Split (Yugoslavia)
West Germany
USSR
Hungary

1983 Rome (Italy)
USSR
Hungary
Spain

1985 Sofia (Bulgaria)
USSR
Yugoslavia
West Germany

1987 Strasburg (France)
USSR
Yugoslavia
Italy

1989 Bonn (W. Germany)
West Germany
Yugoslavia
Italy

1991 Athens (Greece)
Yugoslavia
Spain
URSS

1993 Sheffield (Great Britain)
Italy
Hungary
Spain

1995 Vienna (Austria)
Italy
Hungary
Germany

1997 Seville (Spain)
Hungary
Yugoslavia
Russia

1999 Florence (Italy)
Hungary
Croatia
Italy

2001 Budapest (Hungary)
Yugoslavia
Italy
Hungary

2003 Kranj (Slovenia)

Serbia & Montenegro
Croatia
Hungary

2006 Belgrade (Serbia)
Serbia
Hungary
Spain

2008 Malaga (Spain)
Montenegro
Serbia
Hungary

2010 Zagreb (Croatia)
Croatia
Italy
Serbia

2012 Eindhoven (The Netherlands)
Serbia
Montenegro
Hungary

2014 Budapest (Hungary)
Serbia
Hungary
Italy

2016 Belgrade (Serbia)
Serbia
Montenegro
Hungary

2016 Barcelona (Spain)
Serbia
Spain
Croatia