Serbia’s Water Polo Federation in Turmoil as Coach Stevanović Quits, Citing Clash with New President Soro

Key facts

• Uroš Stevanović resigned as Serbia’s water polo head coach on Monday, citing incompatibility with new VSS president Slobodan Soro’s views.
• Slobodan Soro, a former national team goalkeeper, was elected VSS president on April 29, 2026, as the sole candidate, with 36 of 38 delegates present.
• Soro stated that the national team coach will no longer be allowed to simultaneously coach a domestic club, a practice he called 'not fair'.
• Stevanović had been head coach of Radnički Kragujevac for years, leading Serbia to gold at the 2024 Olympics and 2024 European Championship.
• Viktor Jelenić, Soro’s predecessor, served eight years, during which Serbia won two Olympic and two European gold medals.
• Jelenić reported reducing a €1.25 million debt to over €500,000 in cash plus €140,000 in agreed sponsorship.
• Marko Avramović, a former national team player, was elected president of the VSS Assembly.
• Only Crvena Zvezda abstained from voting for the new president and assembly president.

A Sudden Departure Shakes Serbian Water Polo

Uroš Stevanović, the head coach of Serbia’s national water polo team, resigned on Monday in a move that stunned the sport. In a public statement, he explained that the views expressed by newly elected federation president Slobodan Soro were “completely contrary” to his own, leaving him no choice but to step down. The resignation came just days after Soro, a former Olympic bronze medalist and longtime goalkeeper, was elected president of the Water Polo Federation of Serbia (VSS) at a hastily convened assembly. Stevanović’s departure opens a leadership vacuum ahead of a critical period for the team, which has dominated international water polo for the past decade.

Soro’s Election and Immediate Policy Shift

Slobodan Soro was elected as the sole candidate for VSS president on April 29, 2026, at the Hotel “M” in Belgrade. The assembly lasted less than 40 minutes, with 36 of the 38 club delegates present. Alongside Soro, Marko Avramović, a former national team player and current general secretary of the Association of Water Polo Coaches, was elected president of the VSS Assembly. In his first public comments after the election, Soro declared that “expertise must return to the federation” and announced a key policy: the national team coach would no longer be permitted to also coach a domestic club. He cited past examples—Nenad Manojlović in Niš, Dejan Udovičić in Partizan, Dejan Savić in Zvezda, Petar Porobić in Jadran, and most recently Stevanović in Radnički—as instances where dual roles created conflicts of interest. Soro alleged that players had been “blackmailed” into joining specific clubs to secure national team spots, a practice he deemed “not fair to the sport.”

Stevanović’s Legacy and the Breaking Point

Stevanović, who had been head coach of Radnički Kragujevac for many years, took over the national team from Dejan Savić and oversaw a successful generational transition. Under his guidance, Serbia won gold at the 2024 European Championship in Belgrade and the 2024 Paris Olympics, and finished fourth at the 2025 World Championships. He also led the team to the World Cup final in Sydney, though they failed to qualify for the tournament’s final round. Despite these achievements, Stevanović found himself at odds with Soro’s vision. In his resignation statement, he emphasized that his differences were not about team relationships or performance, but about fundamental disagreements over the sport’s future. He chose to step away rather than prolong a conflict, saying he did not want to create further drama.

Financial Turnaround and Administrative Changes

Outgoing president Viktor Jelenić, who had led the federation since April 2018, highlighted his financial legacy during the assembly. He said that when he took over, the VSS was burdened with a debt of €1.25 million and only 70,000 Serbian dinars in its account. By the time he left, the federation had over €500,000 in cash and an additional €140,000 in secured sponsorship. Jelenić also noted that during his eight-year tenure, Serbia’s national team won two Olympic golds and two European golds. The assembly approved the 2025 activity reports, final accounts, the supervisory board report, the financial plan, and the plan for the current year. Nemanja Marijan, the general secretary for 13 years, also departed, having overseen three Olympic golds, four European golds, and one World Championship gold.

The Bazen Issue: A Longstanding Wound

During a television interview on Blic TV’s morning show, Soro addressed one of the most persistent problems in Serbian water polo: the lack of swimming pools. He noted that the last pool built in Belgrade was in 1979. “That is one of the open wounds of our water polo and water sports,” Soro said, adding that the sport has failed to secure a training center where young players can develop their skills. Soro set a personal benchmark for his four-year mandate: “If after four years I leave behind one pool, I would consider my function and obligation successful.” The issue has long been a source of frustration for the water polo community, with many believing that inadequate infrastructure hampers the development of future talent.

Uncertainty Ahead: Search for a New Coach

With Stevanović’s resignation, the VSS must now find a new head coach. Soro confirmed that the next coach will be required to choose: either lead the national team or coach a domestic club, but not both. He said he respects Stevanović’s decision and is focused on moving forward, but declined to speculate on potential candidates. The federation has not yet named a general secretary, though Soro indicated that appointments and initial moves will be made soon. The new leadership faces the challenge of maintaining Serbia’s elite status while implementing structural changes that have already cost the team its head coach. As one commentator noted, “Only a naive person would think that one statement could cause such a big upheaval in Serbian water polo. The problems are surely deeper.”

The bottom line

• Uroš Stevanović resigned as Serbia’s water polo head coach due to irreconcilable differences with new VSS president Slobodan Soro over the dual role of club and national team coach.
• Slobodan Soro, elected unopposed, immediately banned the national team coach from also coaching a domestic club, citing past conflicts of interest and alleged player coercion.
• Stevanović’s tenure included Olympic and European golds, but his departure leaves the team without a leader ahead of upcoming competitions.
• Outgoing president Viktor Jelenić left the federation in a stronger financial position, with over €500,000 in cash and €140,000 in sponsorship, down from a €1.25 million debt.
• Soro has prioritized building a new swimming pool in Belgrade, the first since 1979, as a key goal of his four-year term.
• The VSS assembly saw only Crvena Zvezda abstain from voting, indicating broad support for the new leadership despite the sudden coaching crisis.