April 24, 2022 - The group draw for the European Water Polo Championship was held in a spectacular way at Peristyle, inside Diocletian's Palace. The Croatia women's team will face Germany, Hungary, Greece, the Netherlands, and Romania, while the men will face Greece, Malta, and France in the main water polo tournament on the continent, which will be held in Split in August.

Peristyle and water polo. At first, it sounds like a weird date, but if you found yourself nearby last night, you definitely made sure it was a winning combination. Magical and spectacular. Epithets followed one after the other because, in the world of water polo, such an event has not been seen so far, reports Slobodna Dalmacija. This was the first touch of the seemingly incompatible.

History in the service of sports - so the organizers announced the draw of groups for the European Water Polo Championship, which is scheduled from August 27 to September 10 in Split. What they promised, they fulfilled. The special occasion took place at the historic square in front of the Cathedral of St. Duje, where a wedding ceremony ended just before the start of the event. The happy newlyweds further complemented the already glamorous atmosphere.

There were also curious tourists. Everyone wanted to see what was going on at the Peristyle... and then it started. Ana Rucner opened with a cello performance. The official mascot of the European Water Polo Championship in Split, the seagull Roko, was then presented.

The program was hosted by Mirta Šurjak and Marko Šapit, with a live television broadcast. The central part of the event, the draw itself, started with the draw of groups for the women's part of the tournament. Recall, both Russian national teams were eliminated from the tournament, so there were small changes in the strong groups.

The balls were drawn by two special guests. They were Josip Pavić, our celebrated water polo player, and today's envoy of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. He was named the best player of the tournament 12 years ago when Croatia last hosted.

A touch of handball was brought in by Petar Metličić. Just as they should be, water polo and handball are the two most trophy-winning Croatian sports, they have delighted us countless times with their medals. Croatian water polo female players will play in a group with Germany, Hungary, Greece, the Netherlands, and Romania.

Photo: Miroslav Lelas/PIXSELL

The ladies had the advantage, followed by the group draw for the men's squads. The balls were drawn by the legendary Blanka Vlašić and no less famous water polo player Deni Lušić.

Croatia will play in Group B with Greece, Malta, and France. It could have been easier, but also harder. Slobodna Dalmacija asked the coach Ivica Tucak for a comment.

''For me, this is the most difficult group. The Greeks are Olympic runners-up, and France is certainly the strongest team from the second pot. They have recently beaten Spain, and are growing and investing heavily as they are hosting the next Olympics. Of course, the group is only the first step. It remains to be seen which group we are crossing with''.

The goals of Croatian water polo players are always the highest.

''The wish is to go as far as possible, if possible to gold. I expect it will be a pleasure to play at the Spaladium Arena. I want it to be the wind in our backs to show our best version. Summer is crowded. We must first think about the World Cup, and then we will focus on the Euro'', said Tucak.

The anthem of the European Water Polo Championship called "Until the Last Breath" was also presented, and it was performed by Lidija Bačić, Goran Karan, and the klapa Sebenico.

The groups were formed as follows:

Women

Group A:

1. Germany

2. Croatia

3. Hungary

4. Greece

5. The Netherlands

6. Romania

Group B:

1. Serbia

2. France

3. Slovakia

4. Italy

5. Israel

6. Spain

Men

Group A:

1. Italy

2. Georgia

3. Slovakia

4. Montenegro

Group B:

1. Greece

2. Malta

3. France

4. Croatia

Group C:

1. Romania

2. Germany

3. Spain

4. The Netherlands

Group D:

1. Serbia

2. Hungary

3. Israel

4. Slovenia

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April 23, 2022 - The most important European water polo tournament will be held in Split from August 27 to September 10, and the group draw for the European Water Polo Championship will be held at the symbolic Peristil tonight in a special setting.

Summer is approaching and Split is busy preparing for the European Water Polo Championships, which will take place from August 27 to September 10. It is a big event for the town at the foot of Marjan, the biggest in the last few years, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

In addition to the tournament, the city is also preparing for the spectacle of drawing the groups. If there is a reason to use the term ''spectacle', it is precisely because there is a lot of expectation for this event, since it will be held in nothing more and nothing less than the imposing Peristil, inside Diocletian's Palace. Especially for this occasion, the organizers made an effort to turn one of the symbols of the city into a real water polo stage.

This is how the Peristil will look for tonight's group draw for the European Water Polo Championship. (Image: Slobodna Dalmacija)

As the organizers pointed out, this symbol of history will be, this time, in the service of sports. The stage will be located at the foot of the main Protiron and the arch under which the emperor appeared in the past. Under the stone columns, there will be an auditorium for about 200 guests, and among them numerous dignitaries from sports and social life.

This new and special image of the Peristil will serve as a great advertisement for Croatia. Tourism, which has long been a cornerstone in our country, will get another boost. During the championship, as many as 28 national teams (12 women's and 16 men's) will be in Split with more than 600 athletes and support staff, along with 100 judges and representatives of the Ligue Européenne de Natation (LEN). More than 300 journalists and 600 people are expected to take part in the organization as well.

These are numbers that speak for themselves. A massive spectacle is being prepared in Split, and its first act is scheduled for tonight at 8 pm when the Water Polo Euro group draw begins on the "new" Peristil. A dynamic entertainment program has also been announced, with numerous audiovisual effects that will give a new glow to the centuries-old stone square.

Drawing groups is a great overture to everything that awaits us in the competition itself. The tournament will be accompanied by a series of entertainment events, concerts, museum exhibitions, congresses ... Guests, both domestic and foreign, will be able to enjoy the varied offer, and all together will once again see what kind of host Split always is.

The whole story about holding the European Water Polo Championship in Split started in 2018. Two pools will be temporarily set up inside the Spaladium Arena, the main one for competitions and the auxiliary one for warming up.

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