In the calm of summer, as the most beautiful end of the liveliest season, the European Water Polo Championship will be held for the second time in Croatia, and for the first time in Split. This year from August 27 to September 10, 2022 in the Spaladium Arena. 12 summers ago at this time, the European Championship was held in Zagreb, and water polo connoisseurs and fans of this sport surely remember the special splendor of the Mladost Sports Park, crowned with a gold medal by Croatian water polo players. Now it’s time for the Spaladium Arena to shine even brighter. As we count down to the spectacle, check out the interesting facts and facts about these two competitions below.
What connects Zagreb 2010 and Split 2022?
- It is interesting to note that both competitions are held on almost the same dates. In Zagreb, the competition was held from August 29 to September 11, 2010, and in Split we will follow it from August 27 to September 10, 2022.
- Two European championships in Croatia are connected by the same anthem “To the last breath”, performed by Goran Karan and Lidija Bačić. It was performed for the first time in 2010 and unofficially became the national anthem of the Croatian water polo team.
What will be the difference between Zagreb 2010 and Split 2022?
- In contrast to 2010, when 12 men’s national teams and eight women’s national teams competed, a total of 28 national teams will compete in Split, of which 16 are men’s and 12 are women’s. The strongest teams are the current world champions Spain, the current Olympic champions – the Serbian national team, and the current European champions from Budapest, the Hungarian team.
- It is an interesting fact that the European Championship in 2010 was supposed to be held in the hall. However, this story has remained unrealized until now, when we will have the opportunity to watch this extraordinary scene in the Spaladium Arena, which is proud of the fact that it is the first hall in Croatia in which a swimming pool “floated”.
Regardless of all the similarities and differences, one thing is certain – in Split, in the cradle of Croatian water polo, we are expecting a real spectacle and the creme de la creme of European national teams. The festival of parabolas, pentagrams, “pliski” and “šrauba” is in sight. It will be a fantastic water polo event that you can watch in its entirety on LEN TV, while all the matches of the Croatian women’s and men’s national teams will be televised on HRT 2.
Swim with us in the Spaladium Arena and experience Water Polo! #ExperienceWaterPolo
