Dejan Savić

Serbian water polo player
Dejan Savić
Savić coaching Serbia at the 2015 World Championships
Personal information
Born (1975-04-24) 24 April 1975 (age 49)
Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Hometown Belgrade
Nationality Serbian
Height 192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 135 kg (298 lb)
Handedness R
Club information
Current team Sliema A.S.C
Senior clubs
Years Team
1989–1998
Partizan
1998–2000
Barcelona
2000–2001
Atlètic-Barceloneta
2001–2003
Florentia
2003–2005
Pro Recco
2005–2010
Sintez
2010–2011
Crvena Zvezda
Teams coached
2012–2022
Serbia
2011–2015
Crvena Zvezda
2017–2018
Crvena Zvezda
2022–2023
Crvena Zvezda
2023-
Sliema A.S.C
Medal record
Representing  Yugoslavia,
 Serbia and Montenegro
and  Serbia
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2004 Athens
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Sydney
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Beijing
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2005 Montreal
Silver medal – second place 2001 Fukuoka
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Perth
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Barcelona
European Championship
Gold medal – first place 2001 Budapest
Gold medal – first place 2003 Kranj
Gold medal – first place 2006 Belgrade
Silver medal – second place 1997 Seville
Silver medal – second place 2008 Málaga
FINA World League
Gold medal – first place 2005 Belgrade
Gold medal – first place 2006 Athens
Gold medal – first place 2007 Berlin
Gold medal – first place 2008 Genova
Silver medal – second place 2004 Long Beach
FINA World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2006 Budapest
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Belgrade
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 1997 Bari
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1995 Fukuoka
Head Coach for  Serbia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo
World Championship
Gold medal – first place 2015 Kazan
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Budapest
European Championship
Gold medal – first place 2014 Budapest
Gold medal – first place 2016 Belgrade
Gold medal – first place 2018 Barcelona
FINA World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2014 Almaty
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Berlin
FINA World League
Gold medal – first place 2013 Chelyabinsk
Gold medal – first place 2014 Dubai
Gold medal – first place 2015 Bergamo
Gold medal – first place 2016 Huizhou
Gold medal – first place 2017 Ruza
Gold medal – first place 2019 Belgrade
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Tarragona

Dejan Savić (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Савић; born 24 April 1975) is a Serbian professional water polo coach and former player. Dejan Savić is a former head coach of the Serbian national team and Crvena zvezda

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, Serbia and Montenegro and Serbia, 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 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 cocach.[1]

National career

Savić is one of a few sportspeople who won Olympic medals in water polo as players and head coaches.[2][3]

As player

Savić made his debut for the national team in 1994, during a time of sanctions for Yugoslavia, following All-Star selections in a tournament in Italy. 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, from a player in charge of sifting the opposing networks,[clarification needed] 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 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 in 2011.

As coach

Savić was named as head coach of the Serbian National team after Dejan Udovičić left the position in 2012. Under Savić's leadership, the national team won the 2020 and 2016 Olympic Games, the 2015 World Championship, three European Championships (2014, 2016 and 2018), and six World League titles (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019). 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

VK Crvena Zvezda

As player

VK Partizan

  • Yugoslavian Championship: 1994–95
  • Yugoslavia Cup: 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95
  • LEN Cup: 1997–98
  • LEN Super Cup: 1991
  • LEN Cup Winners' Cup: 1990
  • Mediterranean Championship: 1989

CN Barcelona

  • Copa del Rey: 1998–9

CN Atlètic-Barceloneta

Rari Nantes Florentia

Pro Recco

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.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "TRANSFER BOMBA U CRVENOJ ZVEZDI: Dejan Savić se vraća na mesto uspeha!". mondo.rs (in Serbian). 18 February 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Dejan Savić". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Official Results Book – 2016 Olympic Games – Water Polo" (PDF). olympic.org. IOC. pp. 6, 132. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Savić dobio nacionalno priznanje". na dlanu. 16 June 2010.
  • Interview (in Serbian)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dejan Savić.
FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro squads
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FR Yugoslavia men's water polo squad1996 Summer Olympics – 8th place
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
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FR Yugoslavia men's water polo squad2000 Summer Olympics – Bronze medal
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
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FR Yugoslavia squad2001 European Championship – Gold medal
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
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FR Yugoslavia men's water polo squad2001 World Aquatics Championships – Silver medal
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
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Serbia and Montenegro squad2003 European Championship – Gold medal
Serbia and Montenegro
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Serbia and Montenegro men's water polo squad2003 World Aquatics Championships – Bronze medal
Serbia and Montenegro
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Serbia and Montenegro men's water polo squad2004 Summer Olympics – Silver medal
Serbia and Montenegro
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Serbia and Montenegro men's water polo squad2005 World Aquatics Championships – Gold medal (1st title)
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia squads
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Serbia squad2006 European Championship – Gold medal
Serbia
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Serbia men's water polo squad2007 World Aquatics Championships – 4th place
Serbia
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Serbia squad2008 European Championship – Silver medal
Serbia
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Serbia men's water polo squad2008 Summer Olympics – Bronze medal
Serbia
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Serbia men's water polo squad2013 World Aquatics Championships – 7th place
Serbia
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Serbia squad2014 European Championship – Gold medal
Serbia
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Serbia men's water polo squad2015 World Aquatics Championships – Gold medal (2nd title)
Serbia
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Serbia squad2016 European Championship – Gold medal
Serbia
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Serbia men's water polo squad2016 Summer Olympics – Gold medal (1st title)
Serbia
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Serbia men's water polo squad2017 World Aquatics Championships – Bronze medal
Serbia
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Serbia squad2018 European Championship – Gold medal
Serbia
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Serbia men's water polo squad2019 World Aquatics Championships – 5th place
Serbia
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Serbia squad2020 European Championship – 5th place
Serbia
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Serbia men's water polo squad2020 Summer Olympics – Gold medal (2nd title)
Serbia
Club squads
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  • Partizan Bambi
  • 1997–98 LEN Trophy champions
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  • Sintez Kazan
  • 2006–07 LEN Trophy champions
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  • Crvena zvezda
  • 2012–13 LEN Champions League champions
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Sportsman of The Year
Sportswoman of The Year
Men's Team of The Year
Women's Team of The Year
Team Sport Athlete of The Year
Young Athlete of The Year
Coach of The Year