0
0
The Swiss Waterpolo National League is often dominated by foreign players who learn the basics of our sport intensively in a country where water polo has a better tradition and practicing multiple times per day is embedded in their culture.
As a result, the league’s top scorer is rarely a Swiss player. This was true until Robin Pleyer set the bar high, scoring regularly more than everybody else in the national league.
We talked with the captain of Kreuzlingen and former Swiss National Team member ahead of the crucial LEN Challenger Cup game against Novaky.
I recommend every talented young player to move to an NLA team, instead of waiting too long in a lower league.
Robin Pleyer – SC Kreuzlingen
wball.ch: How did you start water polo, and what was your journey until you joined Kreuzlingen in 2010?
Robin Pleyer: I started in St. Gallen, where my father was coaching. I remember being constantly in the water following my father’s footsteps, and it was natural to join the club and start water polo.
Eventually, I started playing in the National League B with Romanshorn and U19 with Kreuzlingen.
Changing to Kreuzlingen in the summer of 2010 was the next logical step, as I had already been called up to the senior national team and wanted to play in the highest Swiss league.
Kreuzlingen also offered me the chance to move in with a younger player, which was great for me then.
There was no room for excuses, and we also had to swim when the water was 19°.
Robin Pleyer – SC Kreuzligen
wball.ch: How was it to move to a team like Kreuzlingen, and what were the challenges that you had to face?
Robin Pleyer: My goal was always to play in the NLA and train more, but it was also a considerable change. I participated in the practices of the NLB team in addition to the regular practices of the first team. There was no room for excuses, and we also had to swim when the water was 19°.
I recommend every talented young player to follow that path instead of waiting too long in a lower league. The amount and quality of the practices will be an extreme enabler to improve and reach a higher personal level.
Such a move is inevitable; a player’s progress from 17 to 22 years old is paramount.
Suddenly, I was playing against superstars I usually could only admire on television.
Robin Pleyer – SC Kreuzlingen
wball.ch: What do you consider your most significant achievements so far?
Robin Pleyer: It isn’t easy to say. The three Swiss titles from 2011 to 2013 were unique, as I could play alongside Rudy Vacho, Nicholas Weideli, and Janos Halapi.
Another highlight was playing in the first round of the Champions League against Red Star Belgrade, Marseille, Olympiakos, and Jug Dubrovnik. Suddenly, I was playing against superstars I usually could only admire on television.
A special title was in 2019 when we won again against a powerful Lugano after a break of five years. Much credit goes to Benjamin Redder, the coach at the time, who made our practices even more challenging and professional to prepare us for such an achievement.
wball.ch: Have you ever considered playing abroad as a professional?
Robin Pleyer: I played for Nis (Serbia) for four months. Unfortunately, it did not work out as expected. The team faced some monetary issues and had to change the coach in the middle of the season.
Looking back, I would have preferred to stay an entire year and profit from practicing twice a day and learning from the other players.
Teams from Italy and Germany contacted me, but unfortunately, it was never the right moment to transfer to a foreign league.
wball.ch: You will play the second game of the quarterfinals against Novaky, and you have to win by at least a goal for penalty shoots and more than one goal to advance to the semifinals: how do you see your chances?
Robin Pleyer: We are convinced that we can play a great game if we are mentally prepared. Novaky has some great players, but we showed we can score against them and must improve our defensive game to win.
We need to teach the younger generations to have fun training more and harder. If this is possible, the senior national teams will also improve.
Robin Pleyer – SC Kreuzlingen
wball.ch: Kruezlingen has a brand new indoor pool 33 meters long and 25 meters wide, designed for water polo. What does the new pool mean for the club?
Robin Pleyer: The first phase is completed and another great thing is that the 25-meter pool will be renovated and remain accessible via a tunnel.
The new pool means we can develop further as a water polo and swimming club. We can now increase the offering of swimming lessons and water polo for the youngest, increasing our base of players.
I don’t like it when my teammates cannot join all practices, and I’m grateful that it was never the case over all these years.
Robin Pleyer – SC Kreuzlingen
wball.ch: you missed the historic qualification for the European championship by one goal in the last minute of the game against Slovenia. What does the Swiss water polo movement need to change to improve?
Robin Pleyer: we need to change our culture and how we perceive the national team.
Particularly we need to teach the younger generations to have fun training more and harder. If this is possible, the senior national teams will also improve.
Having good communication with the players is vital. We are a small country with a limited talent pool, so we must find a way to combine high performance in sports with our regular life.
wball.ch: You will be 33 next year. How do you see your future career in water polo?
Robin Pleyer: this might be my last season as a player. I live in St. Gallen and started working as a faculty at the “Pädagogische Hochschule” in my home city. I have to drive at least 45 minutes to attend my practices with Kreuzlingen.
I’m still very ambitious and think it only makes sense to attend all training sessions or end my career. I don’t like it when my teammates cannot join all practices, and I’m grateful that it was never the case over all these years. This is a great motivation as we are always enough to play seven-on-seven and practice man-up situations.
Being realistic, I think that the moment has come for Kreuzlingen to have a new captain and see my successors playing my current role in the team.
I already have my coaching license and look forward to giving back to the sport when the right challenge comes.
