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Serbia’s Olympic water polo team has plunged into crisis after head coach Uros Stevanovic resigned and 11 players boycotted the national team over controversial comments made by newly appointed federation president Slobodan Soro.
The dispute erupted after Soro reportedly downplayed Serbia’s recent European Championship triumph, calling the gold-medal victory a result of “momentary inspiration” and claiming the national team was no longer at its historic level.
The remarks sparked outrage among players from Serbia’s gold medal-winning squad at the 2024 Summer Olympics and European champions earlier this year.
In a public letter, the players accused Soro of showing disrespect and attempting to belittle years of sacrifice and achievement.
“We unanimously decided to withdraw from Serbia’s national team as long as Slobodan Soro and his team remain in charge,” the players stated.
Coach Uros Stevanovic later resigned, intensifying uncertainty around one of the world’s most successful water polo programs.
The crisis comes shortly after Serbia failed to qualify for the upcoming World Cup finals in Sydney, adding further pressure on the federation.
Serbia remains one of the dominant forces in international water polo, having secured Olympic gold medals and multiple European titles over the past decade.