From Olympic pool dominance to the mayoralty of Belgrade: the career of Aleksandar Šapić

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before becoming the mayor of Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapić was a record-breaking water polo star. Dominating international leagues for over a decade, he transitioned from professional sports to local governance. His path, however, has been marked by academic controversy, political shifts, and intense scrutiny regarding the management of public funds.

Born in 1978, Aleksandar Šapić emerged as one of the most prolific scorers in water polo history. Between 1996 and 2009, he secured fourteen consecutive top-scorer titles across leagues in Yugoslavia, Italy, and Russia. His international career was equally decorated; he represented his nation in four Olympic Games, earning three medals, and scored 981 goals in 385 national team appearances. In 2006, a contract with the Russian club Shturm 2002 made him the highest-paid player in the sport's history. He eventually retired from professional play in 2009, having won 21 club trophies and numerous individual honors, including being named the World Championship MVP in 2005.

Šapić's political trajectory began after his sports career, serving as an assistant to the mayor of Belgrade from 2009 to 2012. He later led the New Belgrade municipality for a decade, starting in 2012. Originally a member of the Democratic Party, he later founded the Serbian Patriotic Alliance before merging it into the Serbian Progressive Party in 2021. He assumed the role of mayor of Belgrade in 2022, winning his election with 57 out of 110 votes. His tenure has faced significant public criticism, notably regarding his absence from a formal commemoration for the 2023 school shooting victims in Vračar, where he opted to hold a separate city-led event instead.

Beyond his political and athletic achievements, Šapić has faced scrutiny over his academic credentials. After graduating from Megatrend University, he attempted to defend a doctoral thesis in 2012, which later drew allegations of plagiarism from experts in 2014. Furthermore, investigative reports have linked his associates to the diversion of public funds. In 2021, money intended for school programs on violence prevention was allegedly funnelled through phantom associations to private agencies connected to his circle. These controversies highlight the complex intersection of sports celebrity, political power, and institutional accountability in contemporary Serbia.

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