Unai Lema – From Barcelona to Duisburg

At just 20 years old, Unai Lema has already spent around 14 years at CN Atlètic-Barceloneta. Now the Spanish player is preparing for a completely new chapter: for the upcoming season, he will join ASC Duisburg and move to Germany.

In Part 1 of our conversation, we go back to the beginning of his journey. Unai explains how his brother introduced him to water polo and how growing up inside the Barceloneta system shaped his development.

We discuss how Barceloneta connects its youth teams with the senior team, why watching elite players can become an important part of a young athlete's development, and how the club's philosophy is introduced from an early age – with a strong focus on defence, high pressing and quick transitions.

Unai also takes us inside the challenging transition from junior water polo to the senior team of one of the world's leading clubs. He explains what it means to train every day alongside elite players and why there eventually comes a point when training with the best is no longer enough: you also need meaningful playing time and competitive experience.

That leads us to one of the central topics of this episode – his move to ASC Duisburg.

Unai explains why he believes Germany is the right next step, why gaining more minutes in competition is so important for his development, and how experiencing a different country, culture and water polo environment can help him grow.

In this episode:

• Unai's first steps in water polo
• Growing up at CN Atlètic-Barceloneta
• The connection between youth development and the senior team
• Learning by watching world-class players
• Barceloneta's and Spain's water polo philosophy
• Defence, high pressing and quick transitions
• The transition from junior to senior water polo
• Coaches and teammates who shaped his development
• What success means to Unai
• Why Spain's senior national team inspires rather than pressures young players
• Why he is leaving Barceloneta for ASC Duisburg
• Why playing time and experience are crucial for his next step

This is Part 1 of my conversation with Unai Lema.

Part 2 will follow in an upcoming episode of the Waterpolo Expert Talk Podcast – Get the insights.