VK Jug explained

Team:Vaterpolski klub Jug
Pixels:175px
League:Croatian League
Regional League A1
LEN Champions League
Arena:Bazen u Gružu
(Capacity: 2,500)
City:Dubrovnik, Croatia
Colours:Red and blue
President:Tomislav Dumančić
Championships:4 Champions League
2 Euro Cup
2 LEN Super Cup
5 Regional Water Polo League
17 Croatian Championships
16 Croatian Cups
22 Yugoslav Championships
2 Yugoslav Cups

Vaterpolski klub Jug (English: Jug Water Polo Club) is a professional water polo club based in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The club was established in 1923 as part of sports society "JUG". As of the 2021–22 season, VK Jug competes in the Croatian League, Regional League A1 and LEN Champions League.

History

1923–1941

Since establishment in 1923, Jug was one of the most successful water polo clubs in Yugoslavia. It won fourteen Yugoslav Water Polo Championship titles in Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

1945–1991

During the existence of SFR Yugoslavia, Jug was among the elite Yugoslav water polo clubs, winning a total of eights Yugoslav Water Polo Championship titles; three in a row from 1949 to 1951, four in a row from 1980 to 1983, and their last one in 1985. Jug also won its first European title, the Champions Cup, in 1981. It also won the National Cup of Yugoslavia in 1981 and 1983.

1991–2008

After the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, Jug won six Croatian First League of Water Polo championships and eight Croatian Water Polo Cup titles until the 2007–08 season. It cemented its dominance in Croatia by winning the top-tier continental 2000–01 LEN Champions League and 2005–06 LEN Euroleague titles.

Dubrovnik City Council honoured the club in 1997 with the City of Dubrovnik Award.[1]

2008–present

In the 2008–09 season, Jug won the inaugural season of the Regional Water Polo League. From 2009–10 to 2014–15, Jug was five-time runner-up in the competition and finished in third place once. In Croatia, it won five consecutive championship titles from 2008–09 to 2012–13 and Croatian Cup in the 2008–09 season.

In the 2015–16 season, Jug set a record by winning all competitions it played in.[2] After taking the Croatian League championship and Croatian Cup title, Jug won the Regional Water Polo League for the second time in club's history and was crowned the 2015–16 LEN Champions League champion for fourth time in club's history.

Starting the 2016–17 season, Jug won the 2016 LEN Super Cup. Jug defended the Regional Water Polo League title in 2016–17, but was stopped in the final of the 2016–17 LEN Champions League by Hungarian team Szolnoki. In the 2017–18 season, Jug won third Regional League title in a row and lost in third-place game of the 2017–18 LEN Champions League.

In the 2018–19 season, Jug failed to defend the Regional Water Polo League title for fourth season in a row, losing to HAVK Mladost. Also, in the 2018–19 LEN Champions League, it lost in the quarterfinals to Hungarian team Ferencvárosi with 10–9.[3]

Honours

Competition Winning Years
National Championships 39
National Championship of Croatia 17 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022
8 1949, 1950, 1951, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985
14 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1940
National Cups 18
National Cup of Croatia 16 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
National Cup of Communist Yugoslavia 2 1981, 1983
Regional Championships 5
Regional Water Polo League 5 2009, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023
European Cups 8
LEN Champions League 4 1981, 2001, 2006, 2016
LEN Super Cup 2 2006, 2016
LEN Cup 2 2000, 2024

Current squad

Season 2021–22[4]

No.Nat.width=145; align=centerPlayer Birth DatePositionL/R
1 Toni Popadić5 November 1994Goalkeeper
2 Hrvoje Zvono31 January 2003Wing
3 Loren Fatović16 November 1996Wing
4 Luka Stahor21 April 2002CenterR
5 Maro Joković1 October 1987WingL
6 Alexandros Papanastasiou12 February 1999Wing
7 Marin Tomasović26 January 2001Wing
8 Stylianos Argyropoulos2 August 1996Wing
9 Filip Kržić28 August 2000Wing
10 Konstantinos Kakaris2 July 1999CenterR
11 Hrvoje Benić26 April 1992GuardR
12 Marko Žuvela22 December 2001GuardR
13 Ivan Jurišić28 August 2003GoalkeeperR
14 Ivuša Burđelez 11 July 2005GuardR

Staff

Technical Staff
Chairman Tomislav Dumančić
Vice-chairman Željan Konsuo
Vice-chairman Pero Kulaš
Vice-chairman Lukša Jakobušić
Club director Ognjen Kržić
Head coach Vjekoslav Kobešćak
Assistant coach Đani Pecotić
Assistant coach Miho Bobić
Goalkeeping coach Maro Balić

Recent seasons

SeasonTierLeagueDomestic cupRegional LeagueEuropean competitions
19921 1. HVL3rd
1992–931 1. HVL3rdRunner-up
1993–941 1. HVL5thRunner-up
1994–951 1. HVL2ndChampion
1995–961 1. HVL2ndRunner-up
1996–971 1. HVL3rdChampion
1997–981 1. HVL4thQuarterfinalist
1998–991 1. HVL2ndQuarterfinalist
1999–001 1. HVL1stRunner-upbgcolor=gold
2000–011 1. HVL1stChampionbgcolor=gold
2001–021 1. HVL2ndRunner-up
2002–031 1. HVL2ndChampion
2003–041 1. HVL1stChampion
2004–051 1. HVL1stChampion
2005–061 1. HVL1stRunner-upbgcolor=gold
2006–071 1. HVL1stChampionbgcolor=goldC
bgcolor=silver
2007–081 1. HVL2ndChampionbgcolor=silver
2008–091 1. HVL1stChampionChampion
2009–101 1. HVL1stChampionRunner-up
2010–111 1. HVL1stSemifinalistRunner-up
2011–121 1. HVL1stRunner-upSemifinalist
2012–131 1. HVL1stRunner-upRunner-upbgcolor=silver
2013–141 1. HVL3rdRunner-upRunner-up
2014–151 1. HVL2ndSemifinalistRunner-up
2015–161 1. HVL1stChampionChampionbgcolor=gold
2016–171 1. HVL1stChampionChampionbgcolor=goldC
bgcolor=silver
2017–181 1. HVL1stChampionChampion
2018–191 1. HVL1stChampionRunner-up
2019–201 1. HVL1st Runner-upRunner-up
2020–211 1. HVL2ndRunner-upRunner-up
2021–221 1. HVL1stRunner-upSemifinalist
2022–231 1. HVL2ndChampionChampion
2023–241 1. HVLChampion3rdbgcolor=gold

Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notes and References

  1. https://www.dubrovnik.hr/gradska-uprava/gradsko-vijece/dobitnici-nagrade-grada-dubrovnika Dobitnici Nagrade Grada Dubrovnika
  2. News: V. . A. . Evo zašto je ovo najuspješnija godina u Jugovoj povijesti . 19 September 2019 . index.hr . 5 June 2016 . hr.
  3. News: Veliki Jugov kiks! Ništa od borbe za Ligu prvaka . 19 September 2019 . sportklub.hr . 6 June 2019 . hr.
  4. Web site: Seniori. jug.hr.