“I Am Living My Dream” – David Martín Lozano on Barceloneta & Becoming Spain’s National Team Coach (Part 1)

In this episode of the Waterpolo Expert Talk, Spain’s men’s
national team head coach David Martín Lozano shares his remarkable
journey from a young water polo player in Barceloneta to leading
one of the strongest national teams in the world. His story is
deeply rooted in the unique culture of CN Atlètic-Barceloneta, a
club that transformed from a small family pool into one of Europe’s
most successful water polo institutions – and the place where
Martín spent his entire athletic and coaching career. David
explains how lucky he felt growing up in an environment filled with
world-class players like Manuel Estiarte, Chava Gómez, Dejan Savić
and Petar Trbojević, athletes who shaped his vision of the sport
long before he became a coach. Although he describes himself as a
“normal player,” his development happened at exactly the right
moment: Barceloneta was evolving, attracting top players, and
eventually becoming an international powerhouse. After retiring in
2013, Martín transitioned quickly from player to coach – first as
assistant to Rafa Aguilar in the Spanish national team, then
alongside his brother Chus Martín in Barceloneta. Within just a few
years, his dream became reality: he became head coach of Spain,
responsible for one of the most talented generations the country
has ever produced. A major part of the conversation focuses on the
development system in Spain, especially the high-performance center
in Sant Cugat, where the top U17–U20 players train daily for four
years. Martín explains why this centralized structure is one of
Spain’s biggest advantages. Many of today’s national team stars –
Granados, Perrone, Sanahuja, Aguirre – came through this same
system, allowing Spain to maintain continuity and consistently
develop elite players. David also addresses key differences between
Spain and countries like Germany: – In Spain, water polo is strong
primarily in Catalonia, not nationwide. – Competition at youth
level is extremely intense, which accelerates development. –
Families trust the high-performance system because it provides
training, school, accommodation, and a real path toward the
national team. At the same time, Spain faces challenges similar to
the rest of Europe: attracting kids to the sport, competing with
basketball, handball and especially football, and giving players
reasons to stay dedicated for the long run. The conversation also
highlights the changing media landscape. Martín emphasizes that
young players today have access to endless water polo content –
Champions League, World League, LEN streams – yet many do not use
it. He sees it as a missed opportunity: the next generation could
learn directly from the world’s best players with just a few
clicks, but often lacks the long-term mindset needed to grow into
elite athletes. For David himself, the biggest privilege of being
Spain’s head coach is simple: he gets to live his dream every day.
He works with talent, passion and a culture built over decades –
and he believes his current generation has everything it takes to
keep Spain at the top of world water polo. More about the podcast:
https://www.schulzekopp.de