Speaker 1: My guest on the podcast today is the head coach of the Spanish National Man's Team David Martin Lozano. Become a podcast buddy now and get exclusive access to the new podcast episodes. You can find more information about this on my website schulzecobb.de Welcome. This podcast. you

Speaker 1: Get the insights.

Speaker 1: So when you say, we have maybe not the highest level across the whole league in Spain, and you are really also talking or networking with other coaches from other countries, what do you think of from your perspective, from your awareness, or are the biggest differences maybe from the water polo philosophy or the kind of game? or the idea of a game of water polo from Spain instead of against Serbia, Italy, Spain, Germany, whatever. So what do you think are the biggest differences? If we talk about the style of the Battle Polo, I think that 10 years ago, for example, the Latin Battle Polo from Italy, Greece, Spain, is more more different from the Balkan style or the Hungarian style. But in the last seasons, with the change of the new rules from FINA in 2019, I think that the Battle Polo of all the countries is more similar. because today you don't have intensity, don't have speed, you don't play with movement. It's very, very difficult to play. And I think now the difference between all the countries is less. Another thing very important is the new style from Japan. The new style from Japan in the Olympic Games in Rio, I think that they changed the mentality of all the countries. As you can see now, the games, the pressing is very, very strong, very hard, very up. All the people, the defense go very up to see the opponent. And he changed the coach of Japan, this mentality. Because, for example, we're in Spain, for me, like a coach, I learn a lot with his style.

Speaker 2: And I think that now all the teams, Balkans, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Spain, were more similar. Of course, there is a difference, normal difference, because the Balkan players are more big, more strong, Italian, Greeks or Spanish players. And do you need to play with this? But I don't know. When I look at, for example, the Champions League games, I think that it's very, very similar now the Serbian, the Croatian, the Greek, Spanish, even the German. Because water polo now is crazy. It's crazy. You need one intensity very, very high. It's impossible to play. Yeah, so maybe in this case, the new rules maybe make it possible to have the same level or same idea maybe of water polo than in this case. So maybe this is really a good thing that you have really the competition on the same level. that it's not maybe such a big difference. At least maybe not from the... from physical point of view, you mentioned the different sizes and strengthness and so on. So there are for sure differences, they are not nature. So nature differences are normal differences. We can not really change so much with the training or practice or whatever. So you mentioned the Olympic Games. this is really, I'm sure that it is, but it's really something special. So the highest thing. in sports maybe. Maybe you can give us some idea about this special event. So it's special, right?

Speaker 2: I think the big difference to the Olympics is the repercussion media. When you arrive to European or World Championships, you have two three media for your country. He always is there. But when you arrive to the Olympics, you 40 or 50 media. I've said before that in Spain, the idea of water polo is made of shoes. For example, for us, when we won the first game in Tokyo against Serbia, in second game we had 20 medias, a repecusion media for Spain. Spain is the favorite, Spain will win the gold medal, it will be very easy. But I think that the big difference in Olympic games is that you arrive and all the medias are forgotten in last season. In this moment, it's always with interviews, he walks to the pool, all the people know a lot about the polo or are professional about the polo, but this is a big difference. The Olympic is another thing. The pressure for the players between the European or World Cup, the Champions League, is amazing. And are there any special memories from you personally remembering the Olympic Games? Also, are there any special moments where you can say, okay, this is my personal Olympic moment right now? Of course, when Filipo Lijch made the goal. No, I think the best memory for all the people that we went to the Olympics is the first day when you arrived to the Olympic Village. It's amazing because it's your dream when you are a kid and you are here and you can see in the Village Rafa Nadal, the NBA player.

Speaker 1: Okay.

Speaker 2: all the famous esports that you only see on TV. After the first day of opening for the Olympics in the stadium, when you enter the stadium, for example, for me, in my case, Beijing, 28, you can remember this in your memory all your life. Especially for me. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2: there for this moment in Beijing. And of course, this year in Tokyo, because it's the first time that I feel that we can win the medal. It's the first time we have in Beijing, in London, and in Tokyo. And it is the first time that I feel I am sure that we win the medal, Olympic medal. And this is in the memory all my life, sure. After... We don't win the medal, it's true. But I think that we play big Olympic games. We play very, very well. It's true that in semifinals, the sensation is the feeling that we have the game under control. But when you play against these monsters like Filippo, with my friend, Pranowicz, Dusko-Pierlovic, all is possible. But I'm happy with the development of the team. I think that the image of Spain was very, good. And I am sure that the next one in Paris will be ready. So maybe this feeling comes back that you have the good idea, a good feeling to say, okay, at least we are able to make a medal in this game. So why not? So when you have really the good feeling, let's say that way, so that you are really comfortable to say, okay, we are able to make a medal at the end, even when it's not, as you mentioned, maybe not the case at the end, but you have at least a good feeling to start these. Olympic Games. Yeah, so because many of the previous podcast guests where we have also the same discussion, what is really special when you enter or come to the Olympic Games, maybe also the first time, yeah, so it's really overwhelming and you are really struggling and have to do with all the other things around you. Yeah, so you mentioned the Rafa Nadal or whatever NBA stars way well, only

Speaker 1: see them on the TV and then you go to breakfast and this guy is sitting next to you. So this is really these kind of special networking area for most of the previous guests saying, okay, this is really a networking area. So maybe also some kind of struggling with your nerves and with your body and all the other stuff when you enter the Olympic Games for the first time. coming to the Olympic Games maybe the second time or third time in this case, then it's much more easier because it's not the first time. Of course, it's very, very difficult the first time or the second time. When you arrive the first time, you crazy to go to the opening ceremony. You are like, want to walk, I want to walk, I want to walk. But when you go one time, the next day you are very, tired because a lot of hours on feet. You are in the center of the stadium and the second time you say, okay, I can see in the TV. For example, is there in Tokyo. I was the coach and we had the first game with Serbia in the morning. I was talking with my players, guys, it's better don't go to Open Ceremony. Eight persons is the first time. Inedo, Perrone, Fran Fernandez, there is no problem. But for the other players, Granados and Aúja, I want to go, I want to go. But finally, all the teams stay in the Olympic Village. It's normal. It's normal. you say the second time, all these things are not so important. But when you go the first time, do you need in the Olympic Village two or three days to stay on the focus for the competition? Because the Village is very, big. You have a lot of entertainment. You see all the famous players. Is there one photo with Nadal or with the NBA players?

Speaker 2: please take the first one, the first day, not in the middle of the competition. It's normal, it's an amazing experience.

Speaker 2: For my experience, I always say the same. When you go to the Olympic Games, you can see three levels of esports. The esports that we want to participate, they are very happy to be in the Olympic Games. The second is the esports man that he works with the ambition that the best performance personally will be seen what happens. Yes, so maybe we already mentioned the Olympic Games in Paris, but there's enough space between Paris and now. So what is coming for you and your team as next?

Speaker 2: And the third is the people who go to win. You can see the difference in the village. You can see, you can feel. You can feel the people are very happy. I am here. I want to participate. The other people that... I am happy because I make very well. I may be 13th position, but I'm happy. And the people with the focus... you can see his mentality. For the first time for me with the Spanish team, this year we go to win. I feel the focus in the players, the mentality, concentration. After you can win or not, but we want to win. After Olympic Games, I don't feel this feeling in the team. So I am happy. I am happy for this because my team go to Olympic Games to win. Of course, Serbia are going to win, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Greece, a lot of teams with this mentality. So it's very difficult. But this is the first time. I'm happy for this. And I think that we are ready for Paris.

Speaker 2: but this World Champions is in Budapest, in Split, because I think that it's very important to change the mentality of the team. It's one thing that when I arrive to the H-coach from Spain, I want to change. We don't want to stay in the quarter-finals after fifth position. We want to go to the semi-finals, win the semi-finals, arrive to final and win the final. I think that... Yeah, so it seems like that in every country we have the same situation with the scheduling and with the calendar. Yeah, so it's not really the easiest way. So in the past, we only have these kind of discussion maybe for football players or for soccer players here in Europe. Yeah, so where we have the discussion with them. Spain's team in the last seasons, in the last years, this changes mentality and for me is very, very important.

Speaker 1: World Champions League and all the other tournaments or kinds of tournaments we have in soccer. Now we have the same discussion also for other sports like water polo where the players do not have really time for rest, for recovery in this case. And you say, I have only 10 days together with the team, with the players to prepare the team for the next tournament. it's not really the... If we talk about the tactic technique, I think that one strongest things of the Spanish team is the variability tactic. We always change, it depends on opponent. We don't play the same water polo as we play against Serbia or if we play against Italy, for example. And of course, when you start one important game like this quarterfinals, semifinals, we make different things. Yeah, an easy situation for everybody.

Speaker 2: If we talk about the message for the team, the mentality for the team, I don't know, because I was trying a lot of things. For example, in the Barcelona in the final against Serbia, do you remember we were playing a lot of pressing in this tournament? We always go up to... to search the opponent. But before the final, I am thinking that Duzko Pieluic is very dangerous in the center. If we make only one player with him, we have problems. In the meeting before the final, finally, I speak with my players and I say, I am thinking to make more stones, but no. who make more pressure, more pressure, pressing a lot. What do think with this? Your head, like a coach, is crazy before the game. You have a lot of things to say. Sometimes you don't have clear what is the way to win. But finally, in the last season, for example, I was always going with the same way. that we use in the first group. For example, in the Olympic Games, we win all the games, whereas in the quarterfinals, we don't change anything. And in the semi-finals with Serbia, we play the same. No, don't change anything. And the message is to change a lot of the message. Maybe the players feel the pressure and it's dangerous for the game. But this is very good question. Yeah, it's not the same.

Speaker 1: Yeah, so that's it.

Speaker 2: It's a very good question because it's very difficult to the focus like a coach to motivate all the players. Not motivate, motivate normally because the players are sure motivated. But the focus of the measures is very, very important.

Speaker 1: Yeah, and the scheduling, it's not really the easiest. It doesn't make sense in so many cases, in so many ways. the crazy thing about this is maybe from the people who try to make these decisions, they are coming maybe from the water polo and should know the differences and difficulties and points, which is not really at the moment the best. And they decide I think that currently all the level of the scouting in all the sports has grown up. It's amazing. All the teams know your movements, how to shoot your players, and you have the same information. But after there are players like Mandic or Filipovic or Munaric or Granados that are very difficult because not really in the best way for the sport. They should know because they're coming from the sport. In most of the cases, not in every case, not everybody who's trying to make these kinds of decisions in the LEN or FINA or whatever is maybe coming from water polo. But this is maybe not really the best way to do these kinds of decisions. Leaving the head coaches and maybe the bigger nations in water polo out of the game and don't have the chance to, in your case, to give feedback or to influence these kinds of decisions. So at least I don't know if there are any kind of influencing these kinds of decisions from Spain or Greece or Italy. So I don't know if this is case. Yeah. So they're making their decisions without talking to you. They are different players. We try that all players are ready for all the options for the other teams. Because when you play against Serbia and his coach is Dejan Savic, of course do you know that Dejan Savic is the best coach in the world? And you prepared for some surprise. For example, if you remember in the first game against Serbia,

Speaker 2: when they start with the extra men with the line of two meters, only play the line of two meters, for us, this was a big, surprise. We were like, one goal, another goal, another goal, and change this. If you make the practice before, it's very difficult in the game. Of course, when we play the semifinals, we try that this situation don't repeat. But what happened? But Dejan Savic is very, very good. And I'm sure that he is thinking, if Spain makes a solution for this, we make another solution. Another, the other line, exterior line, we make the goals. This is mental world between the coach and players, of course. But this is level of these games, semi-finals, quarter-finals, because... Finally, one detail, only one player can change all the situations in the game. For example, Filipovic. We know that Filipovic shoots the foul. But after he had the capacity to make the goal between four arms, the goalkeeper, it was Filipovic.

Speaker 1: At the end it's more or less political decisions. It's more political stuff which is going around here, not really in the best case or the best results for the water polo as a sport. So this is exactly the case. There are a lot of things to do beside the pool. We have also to deal with all the politics and communication or lack of communication in this case. I think that it's important for our mentality to try to stay, of course, in the semifinals of the World Championships. For us now, the target is in Budapest because I think that we are the only team in the last season, we always play in semifinals. In in Wanju, in Budapest and after in Tokyo. The only time that... more. Maybe we can influence maybe the communication or develop and influence the communication here in the water polo community also with the kind of water polo podcast maybe. At the end we have maybe a little little impact on the communication of the water polo community. we don't win medals, it in Tokyo. But I think that for us, confidence, it's very, important to return to win medals. This is our target. We prepared this World Championship with the target to win medals, but it will be difficult because the calendar of the season is crazy. All the players that are playing in the Champions League in the final eight, we have only 10 days to prepare for Budapest. But I think that we must go to Budapest with the mentality to arrive at all times in the final, to win, because I think that we have team and talent and potential to play these games. After, of course, we need to rest because the calendar is very strong to prepare for European Championship. We are lucky because in...

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 1: Yeah, I will do. I will not stop the podcast.

Speaker 2: in Budapest and Split, the atmosphere for rather polo fans is amazing. And we won't play these games where there are a lot of people, there is a lot of pressure. Like in Budapest, for example, the final in Budapest European Championship was amazing for us. We lose, but the atmosphere for the Spanish players is amazing because we don't have this atmosphere here in Spain.

Speaker 1: Yeah, so in the end, have coming back to the one of the first questions in this discussion now where we have the problem. We have to find kids with the idols in the sports and where we do not have really the chance based on the scheduling that they are participant in the Olympic Games or World Championships and that they cannot play or will not play because they are resting. In this case, in this period of time, then we have really the bigger problem. Yeah, so when we are not able to to protect them more in positive way.

Speaker 2: It's not a good time for the players. I think that the calendar is crazy. After the situation with COVID, what happened? There are players that take the COVID, 10 days without training, without practice, and in two days he must play one Champions game. It's very, very difficult. You have deal with the injuries, with the health of the players. And we must be careful with this situation because I think in the future we can be in situation that some players, some star players say that I don't go to European championships. I need to rest. And if we want to grow up like a sport, we need the idol to start in this tournament, World Championship, European Championship. That's true. So maybe this is a statement for the end of our discussion that we have to protect our players. I think this is really a good statement then at the end that we can communicate to the rest of the listeners here in the podcast. Good. If we go in this way, maybe we will see this situation that some star players say, I need to rest this summer. For example, that happened in Wanju. Do you remember Serbia without seven players of the national team? And this is not good for the World Championships. One World Champion without Filipović in this moment, Dusko Pirlović or... Yeah, thank you for your time. It was really a pleasure and really interesting discussion. Really happy to have you here in the podcast. So Spain, Barcelona is not so far away, so maybe we have the chance to meet each other face to face somewhere in the future in Barcelona. So maybe a short vacation. Why not?

Speaker 2: in this summer without, I don't know, Varga, Mandic, Munari, I don't know. This is not good for our sport. We need show to the goal the best show with the best players in the water. Because we need that the kids look at this World Championship and have a in the future to play. But it's a world. As you can see, the World Championship. Yes, maybe we can do a little bit practice for older men, older playgrounds.

Speaker 1: Sounds good for me. I'm with you.

Speaker 2: For example, in soccer, without Messi or Cristiano? Yeah, thank you. as mentioned before, so we are not really have to focus on only native speakers in English. So we are not both native speakers of English. So yeah, so we have a good time though. At the end, this is the most important point. So thank you for your time. Yeah, hope to see you soon, maybe after all these Corona things and have a nice day. It's not the same. I think that we are the only sport in the world where some players don't go to the World Championships or European Championships to rest. Only happened with the NBA and the NBA, but it's another world. But the other sport, for me, it's a big problem. And then what happened? For me, this World Championship is necessary because the last World Championships in 2019 in Guangzhou, Bye.

Speaker 2: We stayed three years without world championships. If we don't play this season, it will be four years. But I think that the world championships in January of 2024, for me, is crazy. For me, they're crazy. Because the water polo players, with the competition of the clubs, European world championships in 2024, and after the Olympic Games, the qualification for the Olympic Games, for me, I... I don't know what will happen but this...

Speaker 2: Yes, of course. But I think that in my opinion we have a big problem in the world community, water polo community. There is a difference between FINA and LEN. I think that they must sit in the same table, one similar calendar. But what happened when FINA put the world champions in June? And after, here is the same calendar of the LEN Champions League. Len moved the champions but not Iri for the preparation for the World Champions League. And who is the problem? Finally, the coach and the players are the problem for the preparation. I don't know. don't know. Another thing is FINA. We must think that we are rather polo. It's a little thing in FINA. The swimmers... jumping synchrony side is a big family. And I don't know if FINA is more thinking in battle polo or in swimming. I'm sure that they are thinking in the swimmers. But the polo is the only sport that all the players are playing with the clubs. And they have to cut the calendar of the clubs and the calendar of the national team. But I agree with you. think that it's necessary to sit with the coach, with the federations, collaboration. But I don't know if it will be possible because I think that these are political decisions.

Speaker 2: I but it's true that in last years there are a lot of podcasts, websites that very critical with Athena, with Elaine. I think that it's very important. It's important because the repercussion media, you have bad opinion from this statement. It's okay with critical vision for the whole sport. I mean, you must work in this way.

Speaker 2: I am sure, I am sure. But I am only saying that we must protect the most important thing in our sport, is the athletes, the players. It's the most important. Not the coach, not the media, not the director of training, not the coach. And please, for this organization, federations, FINA, LEN, these are the most important things. Because if they don't have... this outlet, these idols, we don't have kids that need to play water polo, swimming, synchrony set, but what do you want?

Speaker 2: Of course, because you can see the water pool is very, hard at sport. And the last, with the new rules, we have less time to position, less time to rest between quarters, less time to extra men. And there are more calendars. The games are very, hard and the calendar is full of the games. And after, one other thing that I think that we must change... It's the possibility that we can go to the World Championships with 15 players, 16 players to make changes between the teams. We can start playing with the team, change one player. I have for the show, the oversponsor, it's very, very important because it's not... We destroy the same players every time because the good players are in all competitions, the more hard... competition and we must protect.

Speaker 2: Salona, please call me.

Speaker 2: One bottle of sun, one beer, it's perfect.

Speaker 2: Thank you for your job. Sorry for my English. I know that it's not perfect, but I will try to speak better. thank you for your job, Andrea. It was a pleasure for me.

Speaker 2: Have a nice day. Thank you. Bye.