Olympiacos Men's Waterpolo ( el, Ολυμπιακός, ), commonly referred to as Olympiacos, Olympiacos Piraeus or with its full name as Olympiacos CFP, is the men's
water polo
Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...
department of the major
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
multi-sport club
A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports.
Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
,
Olympiacos CFP
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...
, based in
Piraeus
Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saron ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
. The department was founded in 1925, one of the founding members of the
Hellenic Swimming Federation
The Hellenic Swimming Federation ( gr, Κολυμβητική Ομοσπονδία Ελλάδος) founded in 1927, is the aquatics national federation for Greece. It oversees competition in 4 Olympic aquatic sports (swimming, synchronized swimmi ...
LEN Champions League
The LEN Champions League is the top-tier European professional water polo club competition with teams from up to 18 countries. It is organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation.
The competition started in 1963 as European Cup. A change of na ...
LEN Super Cup
The LEN Super Cup is an annual water polo match organized by LEN and contested by the reigning champions of the two European club competitions, the LEN Champions League and the LEN Euro Cup.
From 1976 to 2002, the LEN Super Cup was contested betwe ...
(2002) and 2 Triple Crowns (2002, 2018), the only Greek club to have been crowned European Champions. They have also been six times runners-up (counting nine European finals overall), three in the LEN Champions League ( 2000–01, 2015–16, 2018–19), two in the
LEN Cup Winners' Cup
The LEN Cup Winners' Cup was a European water polo club competition organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation. National cup winners qualified for the tournament. After 2003, the nationalcup winners qualified for the LEN Euroleague, and the cu ...
(1997–98, 1998–99) and one more in the LEN Super Cup (
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
). In 2001–02, Olympiacos became the first club ever in waterpolo history to win all four competitions they claimed (LEN Champions League, LEN Super Cup, Greek League and Greek Cup), completing a Continental Quadruple. They won their second Continental Quadruple in 2017–18 season (LEN Champions League, Greek League, Greek Cup, Greek Super Cup). After the 2014–15 LEN Euro League win of the women's department, parent club
Olympiacos CFP
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...
became the second sports club in continental waterpolo history to have been crowned European Champions with both its men's and women's teams and the only one in Europe with both these departments currently active.
Domestically, Olympiacos is the most titled club in Greek water polo history, as the club's 64 domestic titles (67 overall) are the most out of any Greek club. They have won 36 League titles, a record 23
Cups
CUPS (formerly an acronym for Common UNIX Printing System) is a modular printing system for Unix-like computer operating systems which allows a computer to act as a print server. A computer running CUPS is a host that can accept print jobs ...
, a record 5 Super Cups and a record 20 Doubles. They are the dominant force since 1992, having set a number of records including a winning streak of 163 straight wins in both the Greek League's regular season and play-offs, which lasted from May 2013 to May 2019. The men's waterpolo department receives great support from the club's large fanbase, as Olympiacos is the most popular sports club in Greece.
Some of the greatest players in the world have played for Olympiacos over the years including: Filip Filipović,
Márton Vámos
Márton György Vámos (born 24 June 1992) is a water polo player of Hungary. He was part of the Hungarian team at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.
Honours
National
* World Championships: Gold medal - 2013; Silver medal - 2017
* Europ ...
,
Maro Joković
Maro Joković (born 1 October 1987) is a Croatian water polo player. He is left-handed and plays in the right wing position. He competed at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics and won a gold medal in 2012 and a silver in 2016. He held the world tit ...
,
Josip Pavić
Josip Pavić (; born 15 January 1982) is a Croatian water polo player who competed in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in 2012 and the silver in 2016. He was widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the 2012 Olympi ...
Marko Bijac
Marko may refer to:
* Marko (given name)
* Marko (surname)
* Márkó, a village in Hungary
See also
*Marco (disambiguation)
*Markko (disambiguation)
*Marka (disambiguation)
*Markov
*Marku
Marku is an Albanian surname. Notable people with the ...
Alexandros Papanastasiou
Alexandros Papanastasiou ( el, Αλέξανδρος Παπαναστασίου; 8 July 1876 – 17 November 1936) was a Greek lawyer, sociologist and politician who served twice as the Prime Minister of Greece in the interwar period, being a pione ...
Andro Bušlje
Andro Bušlje (born 4 January 1986) is a Croatian water polo player who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics. At the 2012 Summer Olympics he was part of the Croatian team that won the gold medal. He ...
,
Petar Trbojević
Petar Trbojević (born 9 September 1973 in Niš, Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a retired Serbian water polo player who played on the bronze medal squad of FR Yugoslavia at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the silver medal squad of Serbia and Montenegr ...
,
Paulo Obradović
Paulo Obradović (born 9 March 1986) is a Croatian water polo player. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed for the Croatia men's national water polo team in the men's event, where they won the gold medal. He is 6 ft 3 inches tall. At c ...
,
Slobodan Nikić
Slobodan Nikić ( Serbian Cyrillic: Слободан Никић; born 25 January 1983) is a Serbian professional water polo player. He is currently free agent and he is a long-standing member of the Serbia men's national water polo team. His most ...
Ivan Buljubašić
Ivan Buljubašić (born 31 October 1987) is a Croatian water polo player. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed for the gold medal-winning Croatia men's national water polo team, Croatian men's national water polo team in the Water polo at th ...
Mlađan Janović
Mlađan Janović ( sr-cyrl, Млађан Јановић; born 12 June 1984 in Kotor, SR Montenegro, Yugoslavia) is a Montenegrin water polo player. He currently plays for AN Brescia and he is a long-standing member of the Montenegrin national wa ...
,
Nikola Rađen
Nikola Rađen ( sr-cyr, Никола Рађен, ) (born 29 January 1985) 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 ...
Dimitris Kravaritis
Dimitris Kravaritis ( el, Δημήτρης Κραβαρίτης, born 28 March 1972) is a retired Greek water polo player who played his entire career for Olympiacos. He is the current head coach of Greece Junior national water polo team, whom h ...
Christos Afroudakis
Christos Afroudakis (born 23 May 1984) is a Greek water polo player who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
He was the captain of the team that competed for Greece at the 2016 Summe ...
Kyriakos Giannopoulos
Kyriakos Giannopoulos (born 17 April 1959) is a Greek former water polo player who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics, in the 1984 Summer Olympics, in the 1988 Summer Olympics, and in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
See also
* Greece men's Olympic wa ...
Chris Humbert
Christopher A. Humbert (born December 27, 1969 in Modesto, California) is a former water polo center forward from the United States, who competed in three Summer Olympics ( 1992, 1996 and 2000) for his native country. He was part of the Unite ...
Angelos Vlachopoulos
Angelos Vlachopoulos ( el, Άγγελος Βλαχόπουλος; born 28 September 1991) is a Greek water polo player. He won a bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships and competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He plays for Serbian club VK ...
Alexandros Gounas
Alexandros Evgenios Gounas (born 3 October 1989) is a Greek water polo player. He is member of the Greece men's national water polo team since 2008 and won a bronze medal at the 16th FINA World Aquatics Championships, FINA World Championships and ...
Konstantinos Genidounias
Konstantinos Genidounias (born 3 May 1993) is a Greek water polo player. He was part of the Greek team that one the bronze medal at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. Genidounias is considered one of the top scorers in the world .His top per ...
Boris Popov
Boris Nikitich Popov (russian: Борис Никитич Попов, born 21 March 1941) is a Russian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Career
In 1964 he was a member of the Soviet team whic ...
Igor Milanović
Igor Milanović ( sr-Cyrl, Игор Милановић; born 18 December 1965) 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 profe ...
Pro Recco
A.S.D. Pro Recco (Official name: Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Pro Recco) is an Italian water polo club from Recco, in Liguria. It currently plays in Serie A1.
Pro Recco is the most successful club in men's water polo. In men's domesti ...
,
Jug
A jug is a type of container commonly used to hold liquids. It has an opening, sometimes narrow, from which to pour or drink, and has a handle, and often a pouring lip. Jugs throughout history have been made of metal, and ceramic, or glass, and ...
and
Posillipo
Posillipo (; nap, Pusilleco ) is an affluent residential quarter of Naples, southern Italy, located along the northern coast of the Gulf of Naples.
From the 1st century BC the Bay of Naples witnessed the rise of villas constructed by elite Roma ...
have won more LEN Champions League titles than Olympiacos since 1993).
History
1925–1945: Early years
Olympiacos men's water polo team was founded in 1925, being one of the first sports departments of
Olympiacos CFP
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...
that was founded right after the
Football team
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all-s ...
(along with the
Athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
and
Swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
Ethnikos Piraeus
Ethnikos Piraeus (Greek: Εθνικός Πειραιώς) is a Greek multisport club based in Piraeus. It was founded in 1923. The full name of the club is Ethnikos Omilos Filathlon Pireos/Phalirou or Ethnikos OFPF (Greek: Εθνικός Όμιλ ...
by a 3–2 scoreline in the final, with players like Nikolaos Kaloudis, Nikolaos Baltatzis - Mavrokordatos, Emmanouil Baltatzis - Mavrokordatos, Ioannis Papadakis, Andreas Athanasianos, Siadimas, Kivotos and Kordopatis.Water Polo legends Olympiacos water polo team in 1927
In 1933 Olympiacos secured their second League title, after a 4–2 win against Ethnikos in the final, with players such as Andreas Kourachanis (goalkeeper), Nikolaos Baltatzis - Mavrokordatos, Takis Provatopoulos, Ioannis Papadakis, Ioannis Isigonis, Andreas Athanasianos and Kivotos. Provatopoulos scored 3 goals and Athanasianos one.
The next season the Red-Whites won a back-to-back League title, by defeating Ethnikos once again with the same 4–2 scoreline in the final. The goals were scored by Provatopoulos (2 goals), Leonidas Alexiou and Isigonis.
In 1936 the team secured their fourth Greek Water Polo League title, this time by defeating K.O. Piraeus with 5–1 in the final.
On 28 October 1940, Fascist Italy invaded Greece, and several Olympiacos players joined the
Hellenic Armed Forces
The Hellenic Armed Forces ( el, Eλληνικές Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις, Ellinikés Énoples Dynámis) are the military forces of Greece. They consist of the Hellenic Army, the Hellenic Navy, and the Hellenic Air Force.
The civilian a ...
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Olympiacos water polo goalkeeper and swimming champion Andreas Kourachanis, was killed in a battle against the Italians. Hellenic Navy
Ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
Takis Kontaratos, who was both an Olympiacos water polo player and a midfielder of
Olympiacos F.C.
Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σ.Φ.Π. ), known simply as Olympiacos or Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional football club based in Piraeus, Attica. Part of the major multi-sport club Olympiacos CFP ('' ...
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fast ...
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
's
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
Leros
Leros ( el, Λέρος) is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies (171 nautical miles) from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 9-hour ferry ride or by a 45-minute flig ...
on the morning of 26 September 1943.
1946–1992
After the war, Olympiacos created a very strong team that won 4 Greek League titles from 1947 to 1952 (1947, 1949, 1951, 1952). The 1949 title was won by players like Takis Provatopoulos, Alekos Monastiriotis, Manolis Papadopoulos, Leonidas Alexiou, Christos Oikonomou, Asimakis, Kleoudis, Maragoudakis, Dimitropoulos and Chalas, after a 3–1 win against Ethnikos Piraeus. In 1951 under the guidance of coach Christos Svolopoulos and players like Takis Provatopoulos, Alekos Monastiriotis, Manolis Papadopoulos, Nikos Teleionis, Babis Gerakarakis, Vasilis Ontrias and Asimakis secured the Greek League title after a 6–2 against N.O Mitilinis in the final. The next season, they won their 4th title in 6 years with key players such as Alekos Monastiriotis, Leonidas Alexiou, Nikos Teleionis, Babis Gerakarakis, Nikos Bistis, Vasilis Ontrias and Asimakis.
In 1969, after a 17-year drought, Olympiacos was crowned Greek champions again, under the guidance of coach Makis Charitos and players like Ioannis Palios, Takis Michalos, Periklis Damaskos, Georgios Palikaris, Stathis Sarantos, Vangelis Koskinas, Spyros Tsiminos, Giorgos Venardos, Spyros Ioannidis, Ilias Damaskos and Omiros Polychronopoulos.
In 1971, Olympiacos board hired the world-class head coach
Ivo Trumbić
Ivo Trumbić (2 April 1935 – 12 March 2021) was a Croatian water polo player and Olympic medallist. He later went on to manage. Ivo Trumbić coached the Netherlands to a bronze medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics, becoming one of the few sportspe ...
Andreas Gounas
Andreas Gounas (born 26 August 1957) is a Greek former water polo player who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics and in the 1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angele ...
, Giorgos Venardos, Spyros Tsiminos, Babis Charalambidis, Nikos Beristianos, Christos Daras and Antonis Karavanos. and later on with solid Greek players like
Michalis Kouretas
Michail "Michalis" Kouretas ( el, Μιχάλης Κουρέτας, born 1965 in Patras)Giorgos Katsoulis, Giannis Ladas, Andreas Miralis, Giorgos Michailidis, Thanasis Katsoulis and Manolis Psarros but nevertheless, the Red-Whites spent twenty-one years without a League title.
1992–2019: The Golden Era
Domestic domination, first European final (1992–1998)
In 1992 Olympiacos finally returns to the top of Greek water polo in an impressive fashion, winning both the Greek League and the Greek Cup to complete the first Double in its history. Under the guidance of coach Nikos Loukatos and players like
Kyriakos Giannopoulos
Kyriakos Giannopoulos (born 17 April 1959) is a Greek former water polo player who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics, in the 1984 Summer Olympics, in the 1988 Summer Olympics, and in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
See also
* Greece men's Olympic wa ...
Dimitris Kravaritis
Dimitris Kravaritis ( el, Δημήτρης Κραβαρίτης, born 28 March 1972) is a retired Greek water polo player who played his entire career for Olympiacos. He is the current head coach of Greece Junior national water polo team, whom h ...
, Themis Chatzis, Sakis Platanitis, Charis Pavlidis και Zafeiris Tzinis, Olympiacos clinched their history's eleventh Greek League title and their first ever Greek Cup after a 9–8 win against
NO Patras
NO Patras (NOP), (Greek language, Greek: Ναυταθλητικός Όμιλος Πατρών = Nautical Club of Patras), is a water polo club participating in the First Division of the Greek Championship (A1 Greek water polo, A1 Ethniki).
Hist ...
in the final.
The next season Olympiacos hired
Boris Popov
Boris Nikitich Popov (russian: Борис Никитич Попов, born 21 March 1941) is a Russian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Career
In 1964 he was a member of the Soviet team whic ...
, one of the world's greatest water polo coaches, who was head coach of the
Soviet Union men's national water polo team
The Soviet Union men's national water polo team represented the Soviet Union in international water polo competitions. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian national water polo team became the successor of the Soviet team.
Resul ...
that remained undefeated from 1980 to 1986 and won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics and the gold medal at the 1982 World Championship. Under Popov's guidance, the Red-Whites won a second consecutive domestic Double, securing their history's 12th League title, as well as the Greek Cup after an 8–4 win against
ANO Glyfada
The Athletic Nautical Club of Glyfada , or "ANOG" (Greek: Αθλητικός Ναυτικός Όμιλος Γλυφάδας, "ΑΝΟΓ") was founded by 20 local sportsmen in 1946 and is located in Glyfada, Athens.
The first name of the club was ' ...
in the final.
The next three seasons (1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97), Mile Nakić came back for a third successful stint in Olympiacos and coached the Red-Whites to two consecutive Greek League titles (1994–95, 1995–96), beating Ethnikos Piraeus in 1995 (3–0 wins in the finals) and
NO Vouliagmeni
NO Vouliagmeni or "NOV" (Greek: Ναυτικός Όμιλος Βουλιαγμένης, "NOB" = Nautical Club of Vouliagmeni) is a major aquatic sports club, founded by local sportsmen in 1937 in the seaside resort of Vouliagmeni, Athens, Greece. ...
in 1996 (2–1 wins in the finals) and one Greek Cup (1996–97), beating
NO Patras
NO Patras (NOP), (Greek language, Greek: Ναυταθλητικός Όμιλος Πατρών = Nautical Club of Patras), is a water polo club participating in the First Division of the Greek Championship (A1 Greek water polo, A1 Ethniki).
Hist ...
Dimitris Kravaritis
Dimitris Kravaritis ( el, Δημήτρης Κραβαρίτης, born 28 March 1972) is a retired Greek water polo player who played his entire career for Olympiacos. He is the current head coach of Greece Junior national water polo team, whom h ...
and Charis Pavlidis.
In season 1997–98, Nikos Loukatos, the coach of the 1992 Double, was hired as head coach and players like Giannis Thomakos, Antonis Vlontakis and Gavin Arroyo joined the team. Under Loukatos guidance, the Red-Whites won the Greek Cup after a 10–8 win against
NO Patras
NO Patras (NOP), (Greek language, Greek: Ναυταθλητικός Όμιλος Πατρών = Nautical Club of Patras), is a water polo club participating in the First Division of the Greek Championship (A1 Greek water polo, A1 Ethniki).
Hist ...
in the final and the Greek Super Cup, beating Vouliagmeni 10−5 in the final. Most importantly, Olympiacos reached a European final for the first time in its history; after an impressive campaign, the team qualified for the
LEN Cup Winners' Cup
The LEN Cup Winners' Cup was a European water polo club competition organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation. National cup winners qualified for the tournament. After 2003, the nationalcup winners qualified for the LEN Euroleague, and the cu ...
two-legged final, where they played against
Ferencváros
Ferencváros () is the 9th district of Budapest ( hu, Budapest IX. kerülete), Hungary.
Name
The southern suburb of Pest was named after King Francis I on 4 December 1792 when he was crowned king of Hungary.
History
The development of Fe ...
. Olympiacos won the first leg in Piraeus by 7−6, but lost the second leg 8−6 in Budapest after a thrilling game.
European powerhouse: twice European champions, Super Cup champions, twice Quadruple winners, domestic dynasty (1998–present)
From 1998 to 2005 Olympiacos won 7 consecutive Greek League titles which is a record for the A1 League, which was established in 1987, and a record as well for the club.
In season 1998–99 Nikola Stamenić, one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport, became the team's new head coach. Under Stamenić guidance,
Yugoslavia men's national water polo team
Yugoslavia men's national water polo team was the national water polo team that represented the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1920–1929), the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1929–1941) and the Federal Yugoslavia (1946–1992). They were o ...
had won the gold medal in both the 1991 World Championship in Perth and the 1991 European Championship in Athens, becoming World and European Champions in the same year. Stamenić imposed strict professional conditions in Olympiacos, establishing a very demanding training program, iron-fisted discipline and meticulous tactical analysis.
Under Stamenić, Olympiacos players improved significantly in both mental, physical, technical and tactical level, and in two years they managed to win 2 Greek League titles, 1 Greek Super Cup, and reach the final of the
LEN Cup Winners' Cup
The LEN Cup Winners' Cup was a European water polo club competition organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation. National cup winners qualified for the tournament. After 2003, the nationalcup winners qualified for the LEN Euroleague, and the cu ...
in 1999, where they lost to Mladost, despite coming close to an amazing come-back in the second final leg, where they led the score by 10−2 at some point in the game (10−6 final score). Stamenic became a legend for the club and his contribution to Olympiacos and to Greek water polo in general is considered enormous. His training methods, his tactics and his deep understanding of every aspect of the game of water polo exerted a great influence on this generation of Olympiacos players.
Stamenić left Olympiacos in the summer of 2000 and Dragan Matutinović became the team's new head coach. Olympiacos had a very successful season, winning both the Greek League and the Greek Cup and becoming the first ever Greek club to reach the LEN Champions League final. In the semi-final of the LEN Champions League 2000-01 Final Four in
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
, they beat
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
powerhouse
CN Posillipo
Circolo Nautico Posillipo is an Italian water polo club from Naples established in 1925. It is one of the most laureated Italian clubs, having won three Euroleague,VK Jug
Vaterpolski klub Jug ( en, Jug Water Polo Club) is a professional water polo club based in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The club was established in 1923 as part of sports society "JUG". As of the 2021–22 season, VK Jug competes in the Croatian League, ...
and lost 8–7 after two overtimes in a thrilling game which was marked by a highly controversial decision of referee Boris Margeta. With the score at 5–5, Olympiacos scored a goal with a spectacular backhand shot by Thodoris Chatzitheodorou with only 4 seconds left in the game, a goal that was disallowed by Margeta as a foul.
Despite the great season, Matutinović left the club and Olympiacos board signed the great Hungarian coach Zoltán Kásás to replace him. Under Kásás guidance in 2001–02 Olympiacos had the most successful season in their history. They became the first club ever in
water polo
Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...
history (since the establishment of the modern Champions League format in 1996) to win four out of four competitions in a single year, thus completing the Continental Quadruple, comprising the Triple Crown (
LEN Champions League
The LEN Champions League is the top-tier European professional water polo club competition with teams from up to 18 countries. It is organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation.
The competition started in 1963 as European Cup. A change of na ...
,
Greek Championship
The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
,
Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.
The Greek Cup is the second most ...
) and the
LEN Super Cup
The LEN Super Cup is an annual water polo match organized by LEN and contested by the reigning champions of the two European club competitions, the LEN Champions League and the LEN Euro Cup.
From 1976 to 2002, the LEN Super Cup was contested betwe ...
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
Petar Trbojević
Petar Trbojević (born 9 September 1973 in Niš, Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a retired Serbian water polo player who played on the bronze medal squad of FR Yugoslavia at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the silver medal squad of Serbia and Montenegr ...
Dimitris Kravaritis
Dimitris Kravaritis ( el, Δημήτρης Κραβαρίτης, born 28 March 1972) is a retired Greek water polo player who played his entire career for Olympiacos. He is the current head coach of Greece Junior national water polo team, whom h ...
and
Arsenis Maroulis
Arsenis Maroulis ( el, Αρσένης Μαρούλης; born 1978) is a retired Greek water polo player and water polo coach, currently coaching G.S. Peristeriou. Maroulis played for Greek powerhouse Olympiacos with whom he won the 2001–02 LEN C ...
.
In season 2002–03 with Kásás as head coach Olympiacos went on to win the Greek League and the Greek Cup and the next two seasons (2003–04 and 2004–05) under
Veselin Đuho
Veselin Đuho (born 5 January 1960) is a Croatian professional water polo coach and former player who was a two-time Olympic gold medalist for Yugoslavia at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics.
Đuho was born in Foča but moved to Dubrovnik as a ...
's guidance the club managed to win 7 consecutive Greek League titles, an all-time record.
From 2006 to 2011 Olympiacos under the guidance of Greek coach Vangelis Pateros, won 5 consecutive domestic Doubles, two of which ( Greek Legue and Greek Cup 2009, Greek League and Greek Cup 2010) undefeated and with 31 wins in 31 matches in both seasons, completing 11 Greek League titles in 12 seasons. In European competitions, they reached 2006–07 LEN Euroleague Final Four in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, where they lost 10–9 to eventual European Champions
Pro Recco
A.S.D. Pro Recco (Official name: Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Pro Recco) is an Italian water polo club from Recco, in Liguria. It currently plays in Serie A1.
Pro Recco is the most successful club in men's water polo. In men's domesti ...
in a thrilling semi-final that was decided in the last seconds of the game.
In 2011, Thodoris Vlachos (who had a long and successful career in Olympiacos as a player) became the new head coach of the team. From 2011 to 2019 under the guidance of Vlachos, Olympiacos have won 1 LEN Champions League, 7 Greek League titles, 6 Greek Cups, 1 Greek Super Cup, 1 Continental Quadruple, and 6 domestic Doubles. In 2018, they won the
2017–18 LEN Champions League
The 2017–18 LEN Champions League was the 55th edition of LEN's premier competition for men's water polo clubs.
Overview
Team allocation
12 teams are directly qualified for the Preliminary round (TH: Champions League title holders).
Phases an ...
in
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
, beating once again a home team in the final, the Italian powerhouse
Pro Recco
A.S.D. Pro Recco (Official name: Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Pro Recco) is an Italian water polo club from Recco, in Liguria. It currently plays in Serie A1.
Pro Recco is the most successful club in men's water polo. In men's domesti ...
, the most successful club in the competition with 8 titles. Olympiacos dominated the final game and won the title with a 9–7 scoreline against the Italian side inside their home ground. Along with their second LEN Champions League title, they also completed the second Quadruple Crown in their history (
LEN Champions League
The LEN Champions League is the top-tier European professional water polo club competition with teams from up to 18 countries. It is organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation.
The competition started in 1963 as European Cup. A change of na ...
,
Greek Championship
The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
,
Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.
The Greek Cup is the second most ...
, Greek Super Cup). Key players of this Olympiacos team that was crowned European Champion for the second time in the club's history were
Josip Pavić
Josip Pavić (; born 15 January 1982) is a Croatian water polo player who competed in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in 2012 and the silver in 2016. He was widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the 2012 Olympi ...
Andro Bušlje
Andro Bušlje (born 4 January 1986) is a Croatian water polo player who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics. At the 2012 Summer Olympics he was part of the Croatian team that won the gold medal. He ...
,
Konstantinos Genidounias
Konstantinos Genidounias (born 3 May 1993) is a Greek water polo player. He was part of the Greek team that one the bronze medal at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. Genidounias is considered one of the top scorers in the world .His top per ...
Paulo Obradović
Paulo Obradović (born 9 March 1986) is a Croatian water polo player. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed for the Croatia men's national water polo team in the men's event, where they won the gold medal. He is 6 ft 3 inches tall. At c ...
Alexandros Gounas
Alexandros Evgenios Gounas (born 3 October 1989) is a Greek water polo player. He is member of the Greece men's national water polo team since 2008 and won a bronze medal at the 16th FINA World Aquatics Championships, FINA World Championships and ...
Dimitris Nikolaidis
Dimitris Nikolaidis ( el, Δημήτρης Νικολαΐδης; 1922 – 21 January 1993) was a Greek actor.
Career
He was born in 1922 in Asia Minor and died in January 1993. His journey of life began on a ship that headed from Constanti ...
. Under Vlachos, Olympiacos have also reached the final of the
2015–16 LEN Champions League
The 2015–16 LEN Champions League was the 53rd edition of LEN's premier competition for men's water polo clubs. It ran from 4 September 2015 to 4 June 2016, and was contested by 27 teams from 13 countries. The Final Six (quarterfinals, semifinals ...
in
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, where they lost 6–4 to VK Jug, and the final of the
2018–19 LEN Champions League
The 2018–19 LEN Champions League was the 56th edition of LEN's premier competition for men's water polo clubs.
Overview
Team allocation
12 teams are directly qualified for the Preliminary round (TH: Champions League title holders).
Phases an ...
in
Hannover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
, where they lost in the penalty shootout to
Ferencváros
Ferencváros () is the 9th district of Budapest ( hu, Budapest IX. kerülete), Hungary.
Name
The southern suburb of Pest was named after King Francis I on 4 December 1792 when he was crowned king of Hungary.
History
The development of Fe ...
.
Overall, from 2006–07 through the 2021–22 season, Olympiacos domestically won 14 Doubles (
Greek Championship
The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
and
Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.
The Greek Cup is the second most ...
) in 16 seasons, five of them straight (2007–2011), and six more undefeated and having won every game (without even a single draw) in both the Greek League and the
Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.
The Greek Cup is the second most ...
(2008–09, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18). The club also holds many more unique records in the domestic competitions. They have achieved an all-time record of 163 straight wins in both the Greek League's regular season and play-offs, which lasted from May 2013 to May 2019. Additionally, Olympiacos holds the record for the fewest losses (overall), the most goals scored in a season (446 goals in season 2017–18, beating their previous record of 444 goals in season 2015–16), and the fewest goals conceded in a season (100 goals in season 2015–16).
Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.
The Greek Cup is the second most ...
Greek Super Cup
The Greek Super Cup ( el, Σούπερ Καπ Ελλάδος), officially known as the Cup of Friendship and Solidarity ( el, Κύπελλο Φιλίας και Αλληλεγγύης) was a Greek association football one-match competition which w ...
LEN Champions League
The LEN Champions League is the top-tier European professional water polo club competition with teams from up to 18 countries. It is organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation.
The competition started in 1963 as European Cup. A change of na ...
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
*
LEN Cup Winners' Cup
The LEN Cup Winners' Cup was a European water polo club competition organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation. National cup winners qualified for the tournament. After 2003, the nationalcup winners qualified for the LEN Euroleague, and the cu ...
LEN Super Cup
The LEN Super Cup is an annual water polo match organized by LEN and contested by the reigning champions of the two European club competitions, the LEN Champions League and the LEN Euro Cup.
From 1976 to 2002, the LEN Super Cup was contested betwe ...
** Winners (1): 2002
** ''Runners-up (1)'':
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
Individual club awards
* Quadruple Crown
** Winners (2): 2001–02 (LEN Champions League, LEN Super Cup, Greek League, Greek Cup), 2017–18 (LEN Champions League, Greek League, Greek Cup, Greek Super Cup)
* Triple Crown
** Winners (2): 2001–02 (LEN Champions League, Greek League, Greek Cup), 2017–18 (LEN Champions League, Greek League, Greek Cup)
* Double
** Winners (20) (record): 1991–92, 1992–93, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
International record
The road to two LEN Champions League victories
2001–02 LEN Champions League
The 2001–02 LEN Champions League was the 39th edition of LEN's premier competition for men's water polo clubs. It ran from 24 October 2001 to 25 May 2002, and it was contested by 28 teams. The Final Four (semifinals, final, and third place game) ...
victory
2017–18 LEN Champions League
The 2017–18 LEN Champions League was the 55th edition of LEN's premier competition for men's water polo clubs.
Overview
Team allocation
12 teams are directly qualified for the Preliminary round (TH: Champions League title holders).
Phases an ...
victory
Supporters
Olympiacos fans are renowned for their ardent support to the men's water polo team, with the atmosphere at home matches in Papastrateio Hall regarded as raucous and passionate to such an extent that is rarely seen in water polo matches. Papastrateio is widely considered one of the most fearsome and strong home grounds in Europe. Starting from season 2015–16, Olympiacos has won 19 out of their last 20
LEN Champions League
The LEN Champions League is the top-tier European professional water polo club competition with teams from up to 18 countries. It is organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation.
The competition started in 1963 as European Cup. A change of na ...
home games in
Piraeus
Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saron ...
(losing only to Szolnoki in the 2016–17 season), while their last defeat in the domestic competitions was recorded on 8 May 2013, with the Red-Whites counting more than 5 and a half years with nothing but straight wins at home in both the Greek League and the
Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.
The Greek Cup is the second most ...
.
In 2016 Olympiacos fans carried out the largest fan movement in the history of the sport in the European continent, as more than 1000 Olympiacos supporters travelled to
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
and many other European cities, who provided a passionate support to the team in both the semi-final and the final game of the competition.
Olympiacos fans have created a very popular chant to describe the atmosphere they usually create in Olympiacos water polo matches in Papastrateio Hall. They sing: "For your glory Legend, we're gonna turn Papastrateio Hall into a madhouse" (Greek: ''Θρύλε για το δικό σου μεγαλείο, το Παπαστράτειο τρελοκομείο'').
Andro Bušlje
Andro Bušlje (born 4 January 1986) is a Croatian water polo player who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics. At the 2012 Summer Olympics he was part of the Croatian team that won the gold medal. He ...
File:Paulo Obradović 2 2010.jpg,
Paulo Obradović
Paulo Obradović (born 9 March 1986) is a Croatian water polo player. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed for the Croatia men's national water polo team in the men's event, where they won the gold medal. He is 6 ft 3 inches tall. At c ...
File:Maro Joković 2015.jpg,
Maro Joković
Maro Joković (born 1 October 1987) is a Croatian water polo player. He is left-handed and plays in the right wing position. He competed at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics and won a gold medal in 2012 and a silver in 2016. He held the world tit ...
Alexandros Papanastasiou
Alexandros Papanastasiou ( el, Αλέξανδρος Παπαναστασίου; 8 July 1876 – 17 November 1936) was a Greek lawyer, sociologist and politician who served twice as the Prime Minister of Greece in the interwar period, being a pione ...
Christos Afroudakis
Christos Afroudakis (born 23 May 1984) is a Greek water polo player who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
He was the captain of the team that competed for Greece at the 2016 Summe ...
Babis Charalambidis Babis may refer to:
* Andrej Babiš, Former Czech Prime Minister
* Kasia Babis, Polish cartoonist
* Vasilis Babis (born 1996), Greek footballer
*Followers of the Báb, a 19th-century Persian prophet and founder of Bábism
Bábism (a.k.a. the ...
Christos Floros
Christos may refer to:
* Jesus of Nazareth
* Christ (title), a title for the Jewish Messiah in Christianity
* Christos (surname)
* Christos (given name)
*, a Greek owned, Liberian flagged cargo ship in service 1962-71
See also
* Christ (disamb ...
Konstantinos Genidounias
Konstantinos Genidounias (born 3 May 1993) is a Greek water polo player. He was part of the Greek team that one the bronze medal at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. Genidounias is considered one of the top scorers in the world .His top per ...
*
Kyriakos Giannopoulos
Kyriakos Giannopoulos (born 17 April 1959) is a Greek former water polo player who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics, in the 1984 Summer Olympics, in the 1988 Summer Olympics, and in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
See also
* Greece men's Olympic wa ...
*
Alexandros Gounas
Alexandros Evgenios Gounas (born 3 October 1989) is a Greek water polo player. He is member of the Greece men's national water polo team since 2008 and won a bronze medal at the 16th FINA World Aquatics Championships, FINA World Championships and ...
*
Andreas Gounas
Andreas Gounas (born 26 August 1957) is a Greek former water polo player who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics and in the 1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angele ...
Thanasis Katsoulis
Thanasis (Θανάσης) is a Greek given name, short for Athanasios (Αθανάσιος), which can mean "eternal life" or "immortal".
Notable people with the name Thanasis or Thanassis include:
*Thanasis Antetokounmpo (born 1992), Greek bask ...
Nikitas Kocheilas
Nikitas Kocheilas ( el, Νικήτας Κόχειλας; born 1 March 1983) is a Greek water polo player. As a member of Greece men's national water polo team, he won the bronze medal at the 2006 FINA World League and competed at the 2006 Eur ...
Michalis Kouretas
Michail "Michalis" Kouretas ( el, Μιχάλης Κουρέτας, born 1965 in Patras)Dimitris Kravaritis
Dimitris Kravaritis ( el, Δημήτρης Κραβαρίτης, born 28 March 1972) is a retired Greek water polo player who played his entire career for Olympiacos. He is the current head coach of Greece Junior national water polo team, whom h ...
Arsenis Maroulis
Arsenis Maroulis ( el, Αρσένης Μαρούλης; born 1978) is a retired Greek water polo player and water polo coach, currently coaching G.S. Peristeriou. Maroulis played for Greek powerhouse Olympiacos with whom he won the 2001–02 LEN C ...
Dimitris Nikolaidis
Dimitris Nikolaidis ( el, Δημήτρης Νικολαΐδης; 1922 – 21 January 1993) was a Greek actor.
Career
He was born in 1922 in Asia Minor and died in January 1993. His journey of life began on a ship that headed from Constanti ...
Manolis Psarros Manolis ( el, Μανώλης, Μανόλης) is a Greek masculine given name, which is sometimes a contraction of Emmanouil. It may refer to:
* Manolis Anagnostakis (1925–2005), Greek poet and critic at the forefront of the Marxist and existent ...
Stefanos Santa
Stefanos-Petros Santa (born 21 May 1975 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania) is a Greece, Greek water polo player who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the 1996 Olympics, he was a member of Romania national water polo team as Ștefan Sanda. Currently, ...
Dimitrios Skoumpakis
Dimitrios Skoumpakis (born 18 December 1998) is a Greek water polo player. He competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics, where he won a silver medal as a member of the Greek team. Honours
Olympiacos
*LEN Champions League ''runners-up'' : 2018–19
*G ...
Giorgos Venardos Giorgos, Yiorgos or Yorgos ( el, Γιώργος) is a common abbreviation of the given name Georgios. Notable people with the name include:
Persons Giorgos
* Giorgos Agorogiannis, Greek footballer
* Giorgos Alkaios, pop musician and singer
* G ...
Angelos Vlachopoulos
Angelos Vlachopoulos ( el, Άγγελος Βλαχόπουλος; born 28 September 1991) is a Greek water polo player. He won a bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships and competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He plays for Serbian club VK ...
Emmanouil Zerdevas
Emmanouil Zerdevas (born 12 August 1997) is a Greek water polo player. He competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics, where he won a silver medal as a member of the Greek team.
Honours
Vouliagmeni
*Greek Cup: 2016–17
Olympiacos
*LEN Champions League ...
Ivan Buljubašić
Ivan Buljubašić (born 31 October 1987) is a Croatian water polo player. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed for the gold medal-winning Croatia men's national water polo team, Croatian men's national water polo team in the Water polo at th ...
*
Andro Bušlje
Andro Bušlje (born 4 January 1986) is a Croatian water polo player who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics. At the 2012 Summer Olympics he was part of the Croatian team that won the gold medal. He ...
Maro Joković
Maro Joković (born 1 October 1987) is a Croatian water polo player. He is left-handed and plays in the right wing position. He competed at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics and won a gold medal in 2012 and a silver in 2016. He held the world tit ...
Paulo Obradović
Paulo Obradović (born 9 March 1986) is a Croatian water polo player. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed for the Croatia men's national water polo team in the men's event, where they won the gold medal. He is 6 ft 3 inches tall. At c ...
*
Josip Pavić
Josip Pavić (; born 15 January 1982) is a Croatian water polo player who competed in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in 2012 and the silver in 2016. He was widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the 2012 Olympi ...
*
Antonio Petković
Antonio Petković (born 11 January 1986) is a Croatian water polo player who won silver medals at the 2015 World Championships and the 2016 Olympics.
Orders
* Order of Danica Hrvatska with face of Franjo Bučar - 2016 Tihomil Vranješ
Tihomil Vranješ (born 10 November 1977) is a Croatian male water polo player. He was a member of the Croatia men's national water polo team, playing as a driver. He was a part of the team at the 2004 Summer Olympics. On club level he played ...
Márton Vámos
Márton György Vámos (born 24 June 1992) is a water polo player of Hungary. He was part of the Hungarian team at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.
Honours
National
* World Championships: Gold medal - 2013; Silver medal - 2017
* Europ ...
*
Mlađan Janović
Mlađan Janović ( sr-cyrl, Млађан Јановић; born 12 June 1984 in Kotor, SR Montenegro, Yugoslavia) is a Montenegrin water polo player. He currently plays for AN Brescia and he is a long-standing member of the Montenegrin national wa ...
Slobodan Nikić
Slobodan Nikić ( Serbian Cyrillic: Слободан Никић; born 25 January 1983) is a Serbian professional water polo player. He is currently free agent and he is a long-standing member of the Serbia men's national water polo team. His most ...
*
Nikola Rađen
Nikola Rađen ( sr-cyr, Никола Рађен, ) (born 29 January 1985) 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 ...
*
Petar Trbojević
Petar Trbojević (born 9 September 1973 in Niš, Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a retired Serbian water polo player who played on the bronze medal squad of FR Yugoslavia at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the silver medal squad of Serbia and Montenegr ...
Hannes Daube
Hannes Daube (born January 5, 2000) is an American water polo player. He competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Daube was born in the United States to a German mother and New Zealand father. He played college water polo at the University of South ...
*
Chris Humbert
Christopher A. Humbert (born December 27, 1969 in Modesto, California) is a former water polo center forward from the United States, who competed in three Summer Olympics ( 1992, 1996 and 2000) for his native country. He was part of the Unite ...
*
Max Irving
Max Irving (born 21 May 1995) is an American water polo player. He competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, J ...
Alexandros Gounas
Alexandros Evgenios Gounas (born 3 October 1989) is a Greek water polo player. He is member of the Greece men's national water polo team since 2008 and won a bronze medal at the 16th FINA World Aquatics Championships, FINA World Championships and ...
Angelos Vlachopoulos
Angelos Vlachopoulos ( el, Άγγελος Βλαχόπουλος; born 28 September 1991) is a Greek water polo player. He won a bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships and competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He plays for Serbian club VK ...
File:Christos Afroudakis.JPG,
Christos Afroudakis
Christos Afroudakis (born 23 May 1984) is a Greek water polo player who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
He was the captain of the team that competed for Greece at the 2016 Summe ...
Water Polo
Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...