Hinić Stays at the Helm of Primorje EB for the Jubilee Season
Following the mass departure of key players, the experienced coach announces a new working model and realistic goals for the upcoming season.
Following the mass departure of key players, the experienced coach announces a new working model and realistic goals for the upcoming season.
Igor Hinić will remain the head coach of the water polo club Primorje Erste Bank for his tenth, jubilee season at the helm of the Rijeka-based team. According to Novi list, this news came as a refreshing sea breeze to the club's fans amid a wave of departures of numerous key players from Kantrida.
"I'm staying at the club as head coach," said the 51-year-old expert, confirming the agreement with club president Samir Barać. Hinić also announced a significant change in the coaching staff, giving longtime assistant Boban Voštić the opportunity to take on more responsibility for the first team.
"We're introducing a model where Boban Voštić will also get his chance. He'll be more involved in tactical training and will lead some matches," Hinić told Novi list, adding that Voštić has earned this through his long-standing loyalty to the club.
Hinić highlighted the exceptional contribution of his colleague. "Boban Voštić has been at the club for about twenty years, nine of them with me, and this will be our tenth year working together. He has a strong sense of belonging to the club, and you can feel it. He's been through all age categories. He's an exceptional person; it's hard to find people like him," emphasized the head coach. In practice, this means Voštić will, in addition to his usual assistant duties, officially lead the team from the bench in some matches.
The optimism surrounding coaching stability comes at a time when the playing roster has been severely depleted. Almost all key players have left the club, including captain and Croatian national team member Tin Brubnjak. "There have been a lot of departures of key players, those who brought us quality, starting with Brubnjak, Rakovac, Seman, Dragošević, Burburan, and then Cripe and Snel," Hinić listed.
Although the club is looking for reinforcements, Hinić admits they "won't be as high-profile as some earlier ones." The focus will therefore be on integrating juniors, who finished seventh in the Croatian Cup, into the senior squad. "The initial part of preparations will be much longer; we need to prepare those boys for the demanding senior work, which will be a filter, and this will be a great opportunity for them," he explained.
Given all the circumstances, the club's ambitions are realistically set. "The season will be different from the last one when we aimed to be as close to the top as possible; this year we'll be looking for positions as far from the bottom of the table as possible," said Hinić. He described the top three teams in the league-Mladost, Jadran, and Jug AO-as "unreachable," while mid-table clubs like Zadar (sixth last season), Medveščak, KPK, and Solaris have invested further. The main goal is clear: to stay as far from the bottom as possible.
Preparations for Primorje EB water polo players are expected to begin on August 3 or 10, 2026, with their first official matches in the LEN Cup and domestic competitions.
