“Olympics, player safety & the future of Waterpolo” – Spain Head Coach David Martín Lozano (Part 2)

In this second part of the conversation, David Martín Lozano, head
coach of the Spanish men’s national team, talks openly about the
structural problems facing international water polo today: an
overloaded schedule, player safety, political decision-making
within FINA and LEN, and the need to rethink the sport from the
perspective of the athletes. David begins by comparing water polo
philosophies around the world. A decade ago, the sport showed clear
stylistic differences – the Latin style of Spain, Italy and Greece
versus the Balkan and Hungarian schools. But with the 2019 rule
changes, he argues that modern water polo has become faster, more
intense and more physically demanding, unifying the styles across
nations. Pressing is higher, movement is constant, and the physical
gap between countries is shrinking. Even Japan’s unique
ultra-pressing “Tokyo style” has influenced global coaching. A
major section of the episode focuses on the Olympic Games – the
emotional pressure, the media intensity, the memories and the
experience of facing legends like Filipović, Prlainović and
Pijetlović. David explains why Tokyo was the first time he truly
believed Spain would win a medal, and how stepping into the Olympic
Village, surrounded by stars like Rafael Nadal and NBA players,
shapes an athlete’s mindset. He also reveals why first-time
Olympians often struggle to stay focused amid the atmosphere,
distractions and sheer magnitude of the event. The discussion then
turns to the central topic of the episode: player protection and
the increasingly dangerous competition calendar. David describes
how elite players often have only 10 days to prepare for a World
Championship after the Champions League Final Eight – a situation
he calls “crazy and unsustainable.” With more matches, fewer rest
days, shorter quarters, less recovery time between actions, and a
growing number of injuries, he warns that the sport is heading
toward a crisis: “We must protect the athletes. Without star
players, the sport loses its identity.” He points to previous World
Championships where top nations like Serbia arrived without seven
of their best players simply because athletes needed rest. For
David, this is an alarming sign: a World Championship without the
best players is like football without Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo –
it damages the credibility of the sport. David also criticizes the
lack of coordination between FINA and LEN, where competitions
overlap, calendars collide and political decisions override the
needs of players and coaches. He argues for a unified approach,
where federations and top coaches work together to create a
sustainable, long-term model for water polo – one that prioritizes
athlete welfare over politics. The episode concludes with David’s
belief that water polo must return to its core values: quality
games, fewer but better competitions, space for recovery, and the
certainty that when kids watch a World Championship, they see their
idols in the pool. More about the podcast:
https://www.schulzekopp.de