The German men and women have been drawn against unpleasant preliminary round opponents for the European Water Polo Championships in Split (August 27th to September 10th).
In the draw in the historic Diocletian’s Palace, the men’s team of national coach Petar Porobic in Group C, alongside reigning vice world champion Spain, caught the selections from Romania and the Netherlands, against whom there had been painful defeats in the Olympic qualification.
In the men’s group, the winner of the group goes directly to the quarter-finals. The second- and third-placed teams must contest an intermediary crossover duel. In 2020, the representation of the German Swimming Association (DSV) in Budapest took ninth place.
In Group A, the DSV women, who were only eleventh in 2020, meet three top nations in world water polo with Hungary, the Netherlands and Greece. The team of national coach Sven Schulz wants to look for its chance for fourth place and the return to the quarter-finals in further duels with host Croatia and European Championship newcomer Romania. The German selection was last able to make it into the top eight in 2018 in Barcelona.
The game is played in the Spaladium Arena in a temporary swimming pool. In the post-Olympic season, Germany’s men are also at the start of the World Championships, which will take place in Hungary from June 18th to July 3rd.