Andrija Prlainović ( sr-Cyrl, Андрија Прлаиновић; born 28 April 1987) is a Serbian

water polo Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with the ...

player widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever. He was a member of the Serbia men's national water polo teams that won bronze medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and gold medals in 2016 and 2020. He also held the world title in 2009 and 2015 and the European title in 2006, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. In 2011, he won the

LEN Euroleague The LEN Champions League is the top-tier European professional water polo club competition with teams from up to 18 countries. It is organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation. The competition started in 1963 as European Cup. A change of nam ...

with VK Partizan and in 2013 with

Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Bel ...

, where he was one of the best scorers.

Early years

Prlainović was born in

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

and raised in Herceg Novi,

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

, where he came up through the

PVK Jadran PVK Jadran is a professional water polo club based in Herceg Novi, Montenegro. As of 2021–22 season, the club competes in the Montenegrin League and Regional League A1. PVK Jadran is a 16-time winner of the National league (10 Montenegro, 2 S ...

youth system.

Club career

Montenegro, Serbia, Italy

He started his career in Jadran (2003–2006), and then moved to Partizan Raiffeisen for five seasons (2006–2011). In 2011, he moved to the Italian Pro Recco but he spent only one season there as the club went bankrupt. He was then invited to return to Partizan but he decided to sign a contract with another

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

water polo club: Crvena Zvezda. Upon his arrival at Crvena zvezda he was made captain.

PA Fluminense

In June 2010, Fluminense triumphed in the Brazilian championship (in which a record number of foreign players (15) played that year), winning their fifth title. In the finals the team overcame

Pinheiros Pinheiros (, “pine trees”) is a district in the subprefecture of the same name in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Prior to development, the land which this borough occupies was dominated by the dense forest which contained a Brazilian subt ...

, 13–7. Prlainović scored two goals in the final.

Pro Recco

On 17 September 2011, in the first round of the

Adriatic League The ABA League, renamed to the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the 1st-tier regional men's professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Mace ...

, Prlaionović scored a goal in an easy 14–6 home win against

. In the second round on 24 September, he scored his second goal against in a 16–4 home win. On 1 October Prlainović scored his second Adriatic goal in a 10–7 away win against VK Jug CO. On 8 October in the Adriatic League fourth round, Prlainović and his team-mate and fellow countryman Pijetlović were the top scorers with each scoring three times in a 14–8 away win against . Prlainović scored two goals in the fifth round on 15 October, in a 15–8 home win against

Primorje EB VK Primorje Erste Bank ( hr, Vaterpolski klub Primorje Erste Bank, commonly referred to as VK Primorje EB) is a professional water polo club based in Rijeka, Croatia. As of 2021–22 season, the club competes in the Croatian League and Regional ...

. On 22 October Prlainović scored two goals in the first round of the Euroleague Group in an easy 13–5 win over

Spartak Volgograd Spartak Volgograd (russian: Спартак Волгоград) is a men's and women's water polo club based in the city of Volgograd, Russia. History (men's team) Spartak Volgograd was founded in 1994. However, the water polo department was esta ...

. On 26 October Prlainović scored another two goals in an easy 15–5 away win against VK Jadran Split, but this time in the sixth round of the Adriatic League. On 29 October he scored a goal in the Adriatic League seventh round 13–9 home win against Mladost. On 9 November Prlainović scored three goals in the second round of the Euroleague, in a 13–4 away victory against CN Marseille. On 26 November Prlainović scored two goals in the Euroleague third round, in a 10–8 win against VK Jadran Herceg Novi. On 30 November he scored another two goals, but in the eleventh round Adriatic League 16–1 away win over

VK Primorac VK Primorac Kotor is a professional water polo club based in Kotor, Montenegro. As of 2021–22 season, it competes in the Montenegrin League and Regional League A1. History In 2009, Primorac won the EuroLeague after defeating Pro Recco. In 20 ...

. Prlainović managed to score just one goal on 3 December in a humiliating 21–0 defeat over POŠK in the twelfth round of the Adriatic League. In the thirteenth round on 10 December, Prlainović scored three goals against VK Mornar Split in a 20–8 away win. Prlainović scored three goals on 14 December in the fourth round of the Euroleague, in a 14–9 away win against VK Jadran HN. The third goal was his 10th of the tournament. On 8 February 2012. in the fifth round of the Euroleague, Prlainović scored a goal in a 15–7 win against CN Marseille. 3 days later he scored two goals in Adriatic League fifteenth round 9–8 home win against Jug CO. On 25 February, in the last round of the Euroleague group stage, Prlainović scored three goals in the 18–7 away win against Spartak Volgograd. Four days later, Prlainović scored another three goals but in the Adriatic League fourteenth-round game behind, in a 21–5 easy home win over Mornar BS. On 3 March Prlainović scored a goal in a 12–7 Adriatic League away win against Mladost.

International career

Prlainović scored his first two goals at the European Championship on 17 January against

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

in a second game which the

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

won by 13–12. He also scored a goal in a third game on 19 January, in a great 15–12 victory for his country against the defending European champions

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. On 21 January in the fourth match, Prlainović scored three goals for his national team in a routine victory against

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

14–5. On 23 January, Prlainović scored a goal in the last round of group A, in which Serbia lost to

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

with 11–7. On 27 January Prlainović scored a goal in a semifinal 12–8 victory over

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. Andrija Prlainović won the 2012 European Championship on 29 January. He scored a goal in the final against Montenegro which his national team won by 9–8. This was his second gold medal at the European Championships. He was part of the Serbian 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympic teams which won two gold and two bronze medals. He was the top goalscorer at the

2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, with 22 goals.

Honours

Club

;PVK Jadran * Championship os Serbia & Montenegro: 2003–04 * Cup of Serbia & Montenegro: 2004–05 ;VK Partizan * Serbian Championship: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 *

Serbian Cup The Serbian Cup ( Serbian: Куп Србије, Kup Srbije) is the national football cup of Serbia. The winner of the competition gets a spot in the UEFA Europa League qualifying round. From 2006 to 2010, the competition was known as the Lav Cup ...

: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 * LEN Champions League:

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

* Eurointer League: 2010, 2011 ;PA Fluminense * Brazilian Championship: 2009–10 ;Pro Recco * Serie A1:

, 2014–15, 2015–16 *

Coppa Italia The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since. History The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...

: 2014–15, 2015–16 * LEN Champions League: 2011–12, 2014–15 *

: 2011–12 *

LEN Super Cup The LEN Super Cup is an annual water polo match organized by LEN and contested by the reigning champions of the two European club competitions, the LEN Champions League and the LEN Euro Cup. From 1976 to 2002, the LEN Super Cup was contested betwe ...

: 2012,

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

;VK Crvena Zvezda * Serbian Championship: 2012–13, 2013–14 *

: 2012–13, 2013–14 * LEN Champions League:

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

: 2013 ;Szolnok * Hungarian Championship: 2016–17 * Hungarian Cup:

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

* LEN Champions League: 2016–17 *

;CN Marseille *France Championship: 2020–21, 2021–22

National team

*National team European junior championship 2004, 2006 *World junior championship 2005 *Olympic games gold 2016, 2020 bronze 2008, 2012 *World championship gold 2009,2015 silver 2011 bronze 2017 *European championship gold 2006, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 silver 2008 bronze 2010 *World cup gold 2006, 2010, 2014 bronze 2018 *World league gold 2005–2008, 2010, 2011, 2014–2017, 2019 bronze 2009 *Mediterranean games gold 2009 bronze 2005

Awards

* Young Sportsman of the Year by MOC: 2005 * Top scorer at

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

* 2012 Olympic Games Team of the Tournament * Sportsman of The Year by the Serbian Olympic Committee: 2012 * Best Sportsman of

SD Crvena Zvezda Sportsko društvo Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Спортско друштво Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Sports Society), commonly abbreviated as SD Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, СД Црвена звезда, link=no), is a multi-sport c ...

: 2013 * LEN Champions League Final Four MVP (1):

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

with Crvena Zvezda * All-Tournament Team of the 2017 World Championship *

World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

MVP (1): 2015 Kazan * European Championship MVP (1): 2016 Belgrade * LEN Champions League Final Six MVP (1):

with Szolnok *Third Top European Player in the World by

LEN Len or LEN may refer to: People and fictional characters * Len (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Lén, a character from Irish mythology * Alex Len (born 1993), Ukrainian basketball player * Mr. Len, American hip hop DJ *Le ...

: 2016 *Member of the World Team: 2018 by ''total-waterpolo''

Personal life

Prlainović is married to Ivana Culjkovic and has a daughter Djurdja.Andrija Prlainović
. nbcolympics.com

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Prlainovic, Andrija 1987 births Living people People from Herceg Novi Serbs of Montenegro Serbian male water polo players Water polo drivers Water polo players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Water polo players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Water polo players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Water polo players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Serbia in water polo Olympic bronze medalists for Serbia in water polo World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo European champions for Serbia Competitors at the 2005 Mediterranean Games Competitors at the 2009 Mediterranean Games Mediterranean Games medalists in water polo Mediterranean Games gold medalists for Serbia Mediterranean Games bronze medalists for Serbia Serbian expatriates in Hungary Serbian expatriates in Italy People from Dubrovnik