Sliema ASC name Fernández women's coach, sign Canada captain

Sliema ASC have appointed Spaniard Rafael Fernández as coach of their women's water polo team, Talk.mt reported on Wednesday 7 October, a week after the club's signing of Canada captain Bogdan Djerkovic for the winter season.

Fernández will also have a wider role across the club, working closely with the technical staff of both the academy and the men's team. A former top-flight player in Spain with Real Canoe, he captained Spain's junior national team and later played for the senior national team in the 2016 World League. As a coach, he led Encinas de Boadilla to two promotions in a row, taking the club from Spain's Segunda División to the División de Honor, and helped prepare Spain's youth national team for a European Youth Championship. He is also a qualified physiotherapist, which Talk.mt said would help with player fitness and injury management.

Djerkovic, 25, joins for the winter season and Sliema's campaign in the European Aquatics Water Polo Challenger Cup, Talk.mt reported on 29 September. The 1.98-metre centre is captain of Canada and has played for his country at the World Aquatics Championships and the Pan American Games. He arrives after three seasons with VK Jug Dubrovnik, where he won the LEN Euro Cup, two Croatian Cups and the Croatian Super Cup. Before turning professional in Europe he played college water polo for the University of the Pacific, where he was twice named an All-American.

The two moves follow Sliema's signing of Italian international Andrea Fondelli for the winter season, announced in September.