Dubai: Serbia coach Dejan Savic is expecting a backlash from Hungary at next month’s European Championships, after his team’s 10-6 win in the final of the Fina Water Polo World League Super Final at the Hamdan Sports Complex on Saturday.
Serbia won the first three quarters 3-2, 4-0 and 3-1 before Hungary attempted a 3-0 comeback in the fourth quarter, but by then it was too little too late. Hat-tricks from Filip Filipovic and Stefan Mitrovic helped Serbia retain their crown and extend their record tally to eight titles, setting them up perfectly for next month’s European Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from July 14-27.
Current world champions and record nine-times Olympic gold medallists Hungary were consoled only by the fact that they — along with Serbia — have now qualified to next year’s World Championship in Kazan, Russia, with this top two finish.
Serbia coach Savic said he expected Hungary to come back with a vengeance at the European Championships. “I think they will want revenge,” he said. “There’s a very big tradition between Hungary and Serbia and it will be a great game in Budapest. We are in the same group and meet each other in the third game.
“They are the world champions and played very good but I think we played better in defence. They had their opportunities but we made ours — that was the only difference.
“In the fourth period, we played badly but I think my guys thought that they had already won so they were a little bit relaxed.
“I had expected my team to be over tired what with all the gym and pool work we had done in Dubai in preparation for the Euros. It was a risk but we won and this is a great start to our preparations for next month.”
Meanwhile, Hungary coach Tibor Benedek denied his team would bear a grudge but vowed to come back stronger. “I wouldn’t call it revenge because there will be a lot of good teams at next month’s championship, not just Serbia,” he said. “This was one important final and we lost, that’s it. We have to improve and play better at the Euros.
“I thought it would be a much closer game but we are in a preparation period and Serbia were much stronger than us. The problem was the second period where we took four goals without reply. Serbia were on target and they deserved to win.”
Serbia’s Filip Filipovic won the tournament’s top scorer’s award with 17 goals, and his teammate Gojko Pijetlovic won the best goalkeeper award. Hungary’s Daniel Varga, meanwhile, took the most valuable player award.
