Just days after Total Waterpolo broke the news that Luke Pavillard was set to join Mladost Zagreb and represent Croatia, the situation has taken an unexpected turn.
Sources close to the Croatian Water Polo Federation have now revealed that Croatia has abandoned the Pavillard deal and is instead pursuing Gergo Zalanki, Total Player 2023 and alongside Dusan Mandic, arguably the best left-hander on the planet.
Since Zalanki hasn’t played any games for Hungary since Paris 2024, he could join the Croatian national team immediately (no waiting period required).
In a twist of fate, Zalanki has roots in the Croatian region of Baranja, which borders Hungary. “Zalankic” is one of the most common surnames in that area, meaning “the chosen one” in free translation. How fitting!
Should everything fall into place, Zalanki could make his debut on the biggest stage in none other than Hungary at the 2027 World Championships in Budapest. Croatia would finally have a player of the highest elite class since the legendary Perica Bukic.
“In this newly emerged situation, where it became clear that the Hungarians no longer count on Zalanki, we had to seize the opportunity. Pavillard is an excellent player, but Zalanki is a class above and exactly what we need in this surprising rejuvenation process we’re conducting in the middle of an Olympic cycle,” a source close to the national team told Total Waterpolo on condition of anonymity.
For Pavillard, this is undoubtedly a shock. The Australian had reportedly agreed terms with the Croatian Federation only to see the deal collapse at the eleventh hour.
He will now, by all accounts, remain available to Australian head coach Tim Hamill for future Sharks campaigns. A tough decision awaits Hamill, how to reintegrate a player who was ready to leave, and how to rebuild trust after this very public episode.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: total-waterpolo.com
