Speaker 2: The podcast was on the road and in this episode I welcome the head coach of the German national team, Peter Porovich. 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 to this podcast.

Speaker 2: the insights.

Speaker 2: Welcome to the podcast. So we are here at the championship in Germany, the first game between Waspur and Spandau today in Hannover. And we have a special guest, I would say, the head coach of the German national team. So welcome to the podcast. Very proud that you took the time for me today. Thank you.

Speaker 2: So you told me at the beginning you already were visiting Hannover many times during the practices with the national team and you are the first time here in Linden today so what do you expect from the day and what do you think about the location here? Yes, I stay here first time I think about outdoor pool because in previous period I stay many time indoor pool and also I stay in Hanover before 10 years I remember one very difficult qualification tournament before Sydney Olympic Games we play here so I remember that tournament because for us, our team, in that period I was coach of Serbia, Montenegro and in that period for us was great success that we qualified for Olympic Games here in Hanover in Dorpul. So it means now after 22 years I saw an outdoor pool. Okay, so when you mentioned your visiting Hanover many times in the past regarding also qualification for the Olympics with your team in the past you obviously very experienced and very well known coach in the world so what took you in the mind saying okay I would be the German national coach of the men's team. So how did this come together? So are there any actions from the German organization coming to you saying, okay, what do you think? Would you like to come over to Germany?

Speaker 1: I like that I have some new challenges in my life. It was my wish that I work here and that I try with a new young team, make one improvement and that we can try to improve the complete team for a higher level. So it was my wish. But when I right here, I... I saw a lot of difficulties. Okay, so to tell it the polite way. When you come to Germany and you say you really open for new advantages and new challenges, do you think really that German or to develop, as you mentioned before, of the German team is really a way which could have success at the end? So we have a lot of young people, we have also some people maybe leave the team because of the age. It is difficult that I can promise something because it is very important that I can work with some team, especially if I have young players. But also I found here problem with structure of team. we have not... players on key position because in last one year, one year and a half we lost a lot of players. And now we start to prepare a new team. Only surprise for me that I didn't accept that we haven't so many young players. And special that we haven't some young players on very important position.

Speaker 1: so that we can speak very clear that we haven't some young players on position, center or defender on what is important for every team. So now I start to work to prepare new generation but it can be difficult process here. because it is typical process in every country. If you want to start with new team, necessary time. Only I have here some difficulties and it's not easy to solve them. So when I discuss, first is the problem that we haven't too many young players, especially between junior national team and senior team. Always it is some reserve that you can take players but here I don't see so many players in that age. Second problem that some young players they don't play too much in the best club. Vaspo and Hanover and Spandau. In other side... Some young players who stay in other clubs don't play international games. So we have two completely opposite problems. also one problem. When can you start to work? It is typical in every country that you can start to prepare some perspective team or young team. But here we have some also difficult rules. For example, now I have only 20 players and I cannot invite 21, 22. So I didn't see before the same problem that when I start to work with national team that I cannot invite younger players. Some. It is also a in this moment I think that only I see one option.

Speaker 1: that we see together, clubs, federation, we find ways, how can we work, how can we some strategy for future. Also not easy to organize that. Yeah, so this would mean at the end to bring to the point maybe that we have several action items and several challenges on different levels. So it's not only maybe which is in your direction or part of your job to develop a team. So you have also the structure problems or structurally difficulties to solve and between the clubs and or to commit moderate between the clubs, national team, federation and all these kind of Stuff between the lines. because in many countries sometimes it's the same situation but also many federations they easily find the way what is interest of clubs and what is the national interest and they find a way how can work together I tried in last period that we find that way but until now I didn't see results. So it is very important and only one solution I see that we sit together, three, four main clubs that stay coaches and...

Speaker 1: staff of Federation and that we sit, that we prepare a strategy, that we prepare one program and that we after discuss who can realize that program. I don't see other way. Because not, I don't like that official discuss about many difficulties because it is not usual because I'm from other country but... Yeah. But I don't see that we can make some improvement and good result if everybody work on their own line. Because I noticed here is a main problem. Lot of side follow his program. So there's no strategy for all clubs and the federations here? So it is now a moment, a very important moment that everybody understands that the national team is not my team. It is the team of country of Germany. And how can I explain it? is difficult that I understand if I organized training with national team.

Speaker 1: the middle of March and we play a very important match against a French team and Saturday and Sunday when it necessary that we prepare for that game that in those days they play competition with clubs. I didn't see it before. So I only tell you one example. One. So it is really very strange for me. They didn't stop the competition and Saturday and Sunday... Almost 10 players play for clubs. I stay on training with 5-6 players. And after we didn't make results again, French team, and maybe we lost chance that we qualify for final World League, etc. etc. So I show you one example that is not good way. Yeah, okay. Doesn't make any sense.

Speaker 2: Everybody sees only the result of the preparation. I make a result, stay with 5-6 players. Also, second example, we qualify for... We didn't qualify for World Championship in Budapest, but when they changed competition in Fukuoka, and we had possibility that we participate in Budapest. But they didn't change the for clubs. Now, which is today, they start competition here. So I can start with young team first June and four or five days Hanover can play between final eight. So I want to tell. Second example, if we want to do, if we want to give support, competition must stop before. This month we can start to work with national teams, especially that we have a young team. Is it not same if you have young team and if you have team with experienced player? If you have team with experienced player, it is no problem that you start the training, I don't know. 15 days, 20 days before the World Championship. But with young team that we prepared for the World Championship for 10 days. So not necessary to give some more comments. So in this way, we cannot do more. I have experience and I had in my life. I work in different federations and different situations, always.

Speaker 1: I can see only one way, one road that we try to sit together, that we prepare one common strategy and after that we can start to work until some our target. But if we continue the clubs drive car their road, we drive car other road, federation other road can be very difficult. and it's really not the easiest way than to moderate all these kind of stuff going around with the voices coming from the federation, coming from the people, from the clubs. And don't forget, excuse me, it is more difficult what I said because we haven't too many quality young players. If we have 20, 20 or 15 new young players... We would have not a big problem. No big We a problem. On one side we have too many young players, on the other side we cannot make one strategy. For me it is difficult and in this moment probably I haven't power and possibility that I invite other people that we sit together.

Speaker 1: because I don't know them or don't know good. Maybe that I stay here longer, maybe it can be more easy. I think it's really based on the traditional structures maybe in the Federation. It's not easy to go new ways, say that way. That you have the option to act quickly in this game. As you said, when you are recognizing, okay, we are... Everybody, listen, everybody, when you discuss here with lot of people, everybody has the same opinion. But when you start to change something, like. Everybody afraid from something change, some new. Change is not every time good for many people. And the strategy you mentioned would also include these kind of strategies for developing more young players. Is it correct? the

Speaker 1: Listen, in every sport federation it is very important that you have a And many times I ask here, what is our target? What do you want? Do you want that we organize young competition for young players and that we have competition or it is our target? that we produce players from senior team. What is our target? Competition with kids and everybody complains that we have a lot of competition, we have a lot of games, everybody plays. It is one side. Other side that we have strategy, how can we prepare young players for national team? In country where I... come from Montenegro, for example, we are a small country, 650,000 people, we have great results with senior, with junior, but we have very clear strategy. We want to prepare players for senior national team. And everything is, how can I explain, it is main target. And everybody must work for that target. and not for his own And also what is interesting, everything what we decide, we decide as staff. Clubs can participate, they have some vote, they have some voice, but staff can decide. Here, different, they decide from the base.

Speaker 1: But from the base, if you start to think only about your base... You think about your base, you don't know what's happened on the top of mountain. So we have, if you understand me, we have two positions that you stay down and we can create. It is different if we stay on the top and we can decide everything from the top. And I prefer other solution because we prepare strategy, we decide what is necessary, we decide... Who is we? think some coaches, some staff of Federation because we watch our national interest. Our national interest that you work on this way. What is your local interest? It is different. But in this case you mentioned also the communication and collaboration between all the areas, so all the parties. So you mentioned that the clubs have their voice. Listen, it's very difficult that you complain that everybody have same interests. Some local club, they have interest that they participate in some junior competition, some clubs are happy that they have some activity, some clubs want something that play in the Champions League and that they can take some players from other country.

Speaker 1: It is normal. So in every country you can see many clubs and many different interests. where is national interest? For me, national interest must be first. It is my opinion. And I notice that here sometimes it's not the same. So if you watch national interest... This weekend you can stop competition and priority can be training with national team. And you cannot play. But if you don't care about this, you can play competition with clubs. You don't care how can I work with national team. Because we have very clear strategy. Very clear. National team, when can make result? It is train... for clubs, for kids, for everything. You cannot make results with some local clubs and that can be one element to improve one sport. No, always some sport give opportunity to develop national team. You notice. You watch basketball. And when your team makes good results, what can you notice next day? That a lot of kids want to play basketball. And it is a very clear strategy. So we are trained, not based. Base is base. Base is necessary that we organize, that we have lot of kids, that we have a lot of players, that they more participate. Exactly.

Speaker 1: who stay on the top necessary to prepare strategy and create what is our national interest. Yeah, I think I absolutely agree with this strategy and these illustrations. So I would say it's no other way available. And when you make results, when you have good and strong national team, also it is a country. You cannot promote country with some result in some region or local competition. I don't cumulate their activity. They maybe gave a lot of energy to work. It is other side. I only said that the best promotion for country, the best promotion for some sport can create federation. Yeah, and so this goes also in my direction or my opinion that when you look into the TV station and T-BIL channels there is available the third league of Bayern in football for example, which is really helpless. nobody needs that at the end and we not see any water polo game in TV at the moment. Yeah, so this is really a problem. So when you say we have really the chance to establish a national team also as a

Speaker 2: as a key player here to promote our sports and make it visible also for young kids to say, okay, water polo is a great sport, let's play water polo instead of football, table tennis, basketball and so on. So what about your expectation for the next big tournaments then in Belgrade? So we have not really an easy group, I would say. So what are your plans or expectations for the next big tournament then with the German team? No, No expectations. It is a big competition. know that some teams have really high quality and they are the favorites in that competition. Some clubs from Italy, some clubs from Hungary and others. We can see what is competition, what can be in that competition. We have Hannover and Vaspol participating in that competition. We can see, in this moment, Reco and other Belgrade and some from Hungary, they are in this moment, they have more chance to win. But listen, we must discuss.

Speaker 1: about water polo sport, I am sure that in every country, in many countries we don't use our possibilities to promote better water polo sport. And now you see here, very nice weather, pool, here is a nice ambient. Okay, I think that also if they find way in the town that... Because in some other countries it is usual way that they invite a lot of people, that lot of people stay on tribune. is not the same. I participate with China team in Olympic Games and I know how can we feel with empty tribune or we stay with full tribune. It is not the same. Can you imagine that here they have... A lot of people can be one fantastic ambient here. An excellent promotion for water follow sport. Let's come back at the end to the game today. Today we have the first game in the German Championship here in Hannover. What do you think about the game today? Is an open game or was Wasp a little bit of a favorite? Yes, because last game they won very easy with high difference and I believe that everybody except that can be easy but also can be for players from another little more difficult because if you won last game but I believe that they can prepare and that can motivate

Speaker 2: So easy, yeah, so the mood, maybe...

Speaker 1: for this game that it is very important that they forget last game. Ok, so in this case we Yeah, so we wish Waspoo that they forgot the last result then. yeah, I thank you for the time today. And hopefully we can meet each other again maybe some times later again. So to include also some questions from the audiences. So maybe then we have a next chance to talk to each other. Ok, thank you. on New Game.

Speaker 1: Also I want to thank you because I have not too many occasions that I discuss that I speak official. Yeah, so I'm here, I'm free and I'm open to any discussion. I have not too many communications with journalists, I work that job completely in different way in the country where I worked before. I had lot of communication with journalists, with TV. Okay.

Speaker 2: I'm not really a TV station, but maybe then we can build a start point at the end. Okay, so thank you and have a nice match!

Speaker 1: you Yeah, I'm you