Dejan Savić ( sr-cyr, Дејан Савић; born 24 April 1975) is a Serbian professional

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 ...

coach and former player. During his playing career, he was part of two Olympic bronze medal squads, one for FR Yugoslavia at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, the other for Serbia at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and one Olympic silver medal squad for Serbia and Montenegro at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Savić started training with the Partizan water polo club at the age of five and he debuted for the first team (seniors) at the age of thirteen, while still a pupil in elementary school. His last club was VK Crvena zvezda where he was team captain. He retired from active playing at the end of the 2010/11 season. At international level, Savić represented

FR Yugoslavia The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro or simply Serbia and Montenegro, known until 2003 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and commonly referred to as FR Yugoslavia (FRY) or simply Yugoslavia, was a country in Southeast Europe locate ...

Serbia and Montenegro The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro or simply Serbia and Montenegro, known until 2003 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and commonly referred to as FR Yugoslavia (FRY) or simply Yugoslavia, was a country in Southeast Europe locate ...

and

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, in 444 matches and scored 405 goals. He is the most capped player in Serbian water polo. He began coaching VK Crvena zvezda in 2011 and stayed there until 2015. He also became head coach of the

Serbia men's national water polo team The Serbia men's national water polo team represents Serbia in international men's water polo. It is considered to be one of the most successful men's water polo teams in the world, winning medals in all Olympic tournaments it has entered, i ...

in autumn 2012 and stayed until 2023.

Club career as coach

Crvena zvezda

In 2011, after finishing his long playing career, Savić remained with his club Crvena zvezda in the position of head coach. In 2015, Savić left the position in Crvena zvezda. In February 2022, he returned to Crvena zvezda as head coach.

National career

Savić is one of a few sportspeople who won Olympic medals in water polo as players and head coaches.

As player

Savić made his debut for the national team in 1994, during a time of sanctions for

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

, following All-Star selections in a tournament in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. He became the standard no. five (wing) player for the team almost without a break over the whole of his national career. Holding the record for the highest number of matches played (444), and also being a highly successful scorer (405 goals), he is considered to be among the true legends of Serbian sports. During his career, he developed into the strongest pillar of Serbia's defense in front of the goal. With his power and imagination, he was a prominent member of the team. From 1997, Savić was part of the Yugoslav/Serbian water polo team in every competition in which they won a medal. In a duel with

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

at the 2008 Olympic Games, he was one of the players most responsible for Serbia's triumph when they won the bronze medal that year. Savić played his last match with the national team in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

in 2011.

As coach

Savić was named as head coach of the Serbia national team after Dejan Udovičić left the position in 2012. Under Savić's leadership, the national team won the

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

and 2016 Olympic Games, the 2015 World Championship, three European Championships (

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

and

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

), and six World League titles (

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

and

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

). In little over twelve months, between August 2015 and August 2016, the Serbian national team won consecutively all four of the biggest titles in Water Polo – the 2015 World Championship, the 2016 European Championship, the 2016 World League, and the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games – an unprecedented achievement.

Honours

As coach

Crvena zvezda

* LEN Champions League: 2012–13 * Serbian Championship: 2012–13, 2013–14 * Serbian Cup: 2012–13, 2013–14 * Regional A2 League: 2017–18 *

LEN Super Cup The European Aquatics Super Cup is an annual water polo match organized by European Aquatics and contested by the reigning champions of the two most important European club competitions, the European Aquatics Champions League and the European A ...

: 2014

As player

Partizan

* Yugoslavian Championship: 1994–95 * Yugoslavia Cup: 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95 * LEN Cup: 1997–98 *

: 1991 *

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 cup ...

: 1990 * Mediterranean Championship: 1989

CN Barcelona

Copa del Rey The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanis ...

: 1998–9

CN Atlètic-Barceloneta

* Spanish Championship: 2000–01 *

: 2000–01 *

Supercopa de España The Supercopa de España, also known as the Spanish Super Cup, is a super cup tournament in Football in Spain, Spanish football. Founded in 1982 Supercopa de España, 1982 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2 ...

: 2001

Rari Nantes Florentia

: 2001

Pro Recco

: 2004

Sintez Kazan

* Russian Championship: 2006–07 *Russian Cup: 2004–05, 2009–10 * LEN Euro Cup: 2006–07

Individual honours

It was announced on 1 June 2010 that Dejan Savić won the national sports award, which includes lifetime monthly fees. Savić was honored for winning a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

References

Interview

External links

Club career as coach

Crvena zvezda

National career

As player

As coach

Honours

As coach

Crvena zvezda

As player

Partizan

CN Barcelona

CN Atlètic-Barceloneta

Rari Nantes Florentia

Pro Recco

Sintez Kazan

Individual honours

See also

References

External links