“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.