Trusting young players & building Champions – Unai Aguirre on the power of spanish Waterpolo

In this episode of the Waterpolo Expert Talk, Spanish national team
goalkeeper Unai Aguirre gives a deep and personal insight into the
reasons behind the long-term success of Spanish water polo and why
Spain has become one of the most dominant nations in the world over
the last years. At only 20 years old, Unai is already part of the
senior national team and one of the goalkeepers of CN Barceloneta,
the most successful club in Spain. He расскаnts about his early
years in Barcelona, how he started as a swimmer before switching to
water polo at the age of ten, and why the goalkeeper position
immediately felt natural to him – not only in water polo, but also
in football. For Unai, being a goalie means having direct
responsibility for the result, being part of the defensive heart of
the team and always pushing himself to the highest level. A central
theme of this episode is the Spanish youth development system. Unai
explains how young players from all over the country come together
in national training centers where school and elite water polo are
perfectly connected. This system allows Spain to constantly produce
highly educated, mentally strong and tactically intelligent
players. According to Unai, this is one of the main reasons why
Spain has such a small gap between U18, U20 and senior national
teams. He also talks about the enormous impact of national team
head coach David Martin, who is known for trusting young players
and giving talents real opportunities at the highest level. This
culture of trust creates confidence, responsibility and huge
motivation among the next generation and allows players to grow
quickly into international top performers. Unai shares his personal
experience at CN Barceloneta, where he recently extended his
contract for another three years. He describes the club as a
professional, family-driven environment with perfect conditions for
development, where pressure is replaced by trust and daily
high-level work. Training every day with world-class players has
shaped his mentality and expectations toward himself. The episode
also takes a critical look at the current situation of the Spanish
league. While Barceloneta remains clearly on top, Unai speaks
openly about financial challenges after the pandemic, the rising
costs for clubs and the consequences this has for competition,
player transfers and the long-term stability of certain teams. At
the same time, he sees a positive trend as many young players are
now getting more playing time at the highest national level. This
episode offers a rare inside view into the Spanish high-performance
system, the mentality of young top players, and the cultural
foundations that have turned Spain into a global powerhouse in
modern water polo. More about the podcast:
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