Danilo Ikodinović

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Danilo Ikodinović
Personal information
Born (1976-10-04) 4 October 1976 (age 49)
Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia
Medal record
Men's Water Polo
Representing  Serbia and Montenegro
 Serbia
Men's Water Polo
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2004 Athens
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Sydney
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2005 Montreal
Silver medal – second place 2001 Fukuoka
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Perth
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Barcelona
European Championship
Gold medal – first place 2001 Budapest
Gold medal – first place 2003 Kranj
Gold medal – first place 2006 Belgrade
Silver medal – second place 1997 Seville
FINA World League
Gold medal – first place 2005 Belgrade
Gold medal – first place 2006 Athens
Gold medal – first place 2008 Genova
Silver medal – second place 2004 Long Beach
FINA World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2006 Budapest
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Belgrade
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 1997 Bari

Danilo “Dača” Ikodinović (Serbian Cyrillic: Данило Дача Икодиновић, born 4 October 1976) is a Serbian former professional water polo player who played on the bronze medal squad at the 2000 Summer Olympics (with Yugoslavia) and the silver medal squad at the 2004 Summer Olympics (with Serbia and Montenegro). He received a Golden Badge, award for the best athlete in Serbia and Montenegro.

Club career

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He spent the 2005/06 season playing for VK Partizan. He appeared for the Serbian national water polo team in 304 matches, scoring 299 goals. In 2006, he appeared as a model in an underwear campaign for ExtremeIntimo. During the summer of 2006 he signed for Russian club Sintez Kazan. In his first season in Sintez Kazan, Ikodinović led the team to 2006/07 LEN Cup trophy[1] as well as the Russian league title. In late March 2008, he reached an agreement with PVK Jadran to play for them in 2008/09 season.[2]

Clubs he played for

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Honours

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Club

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VK Partizan

  • National Championship of Yugoslavia (1): 1994–95
  • National Cup of Yugoslavia (3): 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95
  • LEN Cup (1): 1997–98

Pro Recco

Sintez Kazan

  • National Championship of Russia (1): 2006–07
  • LEN Cup (1): 2006–07

Individual

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Post-playing

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Administrative work

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While in recovery following his June 2008 motorcycle crash that forced the end of his professional water polo playing career, Ikodinović, who had since relocated to Novi Sad, took a board position at a local waterpolo club, VK Vojvodina.

Hospitality entrepreneurship

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In December 2010, together with business partner Aleksandar Dobrijević, Ikodinović became part of a newly launched hospitality venture—a kafana named Tako je suđeno (That's Fate) located in Novi Sad's Ribnjak neighbourhood with an interior themed around Northern Serbia ethnographic motifs.[3] The restaurant's opening night generated attention in Serbian media, with most outlets focusing on the presence of Ikodinović's pop star celebrity wife Nataša Bekvalac.[4] It would soon be revealed that Ikodinović's initial involvement with the venue is not in majority ownership capacity, but mostly as its maître d' of sorts as well as its front facing promoter due to his high public profile in Serbia.[5][6]

Politics

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Ikodinović endorsed the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) for the 2018 Belgrade City Assembly election, however, later he became a strong critic of SNS and its leader Aleksandar Vučić.[7] On 17 March 2021, Ikodinović joined the People's Party (NS) and was appointed president of its Sports Committee.[8]

Personal

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Marriages, relationships, and children

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In 2000, Ikodinović married his girlfriend Anja who gave birth to their daughter Andrea later that year.[9] The couple divorced in 2003.[10][11]

For a few months during 2004, he dated professional karate competitor Snežana Perić. The relationship was high profile in Serbian public with extensive coverage in the country's tabloids and lifestyle magazines.[12]

Later that year, Ikodinović began dating the Serbian pop singer Nataša Bekvalac. Once the relationship became public on New Year's Eve 2005[13] it generated even more press coverage than Ikodinović's previous relationship. In August 2005, upon his return from winning the World Championships with Serbia and Montenegro national team in Montreal, Ikodinović married Bekvalac in a civic ceremony they initially kept hidden even from their respective families.[14] One year later, in late July 2006, with Bekvalac in early stage of pregnancy, the couple held a church wedding ceremony at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Sremski Karlovci followed by reception at Novi Sad's Hotel Park.[15] Their child, daughter Hana, was born in March 2007 while Danilo was away in Melbourne with Serbia national team at the World Championships.[16] The couple divorced in January 2011 amid allegations of Ikodinović's infidelity.[17][18][19][20] Though the two parties had initially agreed principal terms of an uncontested divorce, subsequent disagreements over division of assets led to the case going before the divorce court.[21][5][22] By May 2011, they managed to finalize the divorce terms that included Bekvalac getting custody of their 4-year-old daughter.[23][24] In an interview years later, Ikodinović stated that the marriage had been "disintegrating" even before his June 2008 motorcycle accident and that it would have ended regardless.[25][26]

By March 2011, Ikodinović began dating Tanja Vračarić.[27][28] Taking place simultaneously with the legal proceedings in Ikodinović's divorce from Bekvalac, the relationship ended within three months.[29][30][31]

In 2013, thirty-six-year-old retired professional athlete Ikodinović started dating the active professional volleyball player Maja Ognjenović, 8 years his junior. The couple married in late December 2016.[32] They divorced in September 2025.[33]

Motorcycle accident

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On Friday, 27 June 2008, around 8:20pm, while riding his Yamaha R1 motorcycle on the Zrenjanin-Novi Sad regional road, Ikodinović caused a traffic accident near the town of Kać. Riding while intoxicated, he rear-ended a Yugo driven by Pajica Dejanović that had been overtaking a tractor vehicle driven by Miroslav Kukić.[34] Thirty-one-year-old professional water polo player Ikodinović was transferred to intensive care in Novi Sad where he immediately went in for surgery that ended up lasting almost eight hours. As a result, his condition was stabilized, but remained critical.[35] Reportedly, of the numerous injuries he sustained, the heaviest trauma occurred on his right arm with severe tearing of blood vessels (nerves and arteries).[36]

The next day, in the evening hours of 28 June 2008, almost twenty four hours following the accident, he underwent another vascular surgery on his arm.[37] His condition has since improved.

Investigation of the crash completed by mid November 2008, determining that Ikodinović had been driving at a speed of 173 km/h while having blood alcohol content of over 2 per mil (considered to be the medium level of alcoholic intoxication) when he rear-ended Dejanović's Yugo that had just begun overtaking Kukić's tractor vehicle.[34]

Ikodinović was charged with violating traffic safety. On 5 March 2009, his case went before a Novi Sad Municipal Court judge[38] who ruled him guilty of causing the accident and ordered him to pay RSD70,000 (around €760 according to the exchange rate at the time). Ikodinović also received an eight-month ban on operating a motorcycle.[39] District public persecutor submitted an appeal on the court's decision due to not being satisfied with the amount of the fine.

The damages part of the case was settled out of court on 26 May 2009, which is when Ikodinović paid a sum to Pajica Dejanović that was in some media outlets reported to be €6,000.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Vaterpolo: Ruski Sintez osvojio LEN kup, MTS Mondo, May 24, 2007
  2. ^ Dača na Jadranu, Večernje novosti, March 31, 2008
  3. ^ Roksandić, Tamara (17 December 2010). "Danilo Ikodinović: Nataša neće pevati u mom restoranu!" (in Serbian). Hello! Srbija. Retrieved 4 October 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ "Nataša Bekvalac i Danilo Ikodinović otvorili restoran Tako je suđeno" (in Serbian). Espreso.rs. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b Radojković, Marija (4 April 2011). "Danilo od Nataše ne traži ništa" (in Serbian). Blic. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  6. ^ Roksandić, Tamara (9 January 2011). "Danilo Ikodinović: Kafana mi je krcata!" (in Serbian). Hello! Srbija. Retrieved 4 October 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Ikodinović o podršci Vučićevoj listi: Ispao sam pi*da!". NOVA portal. 2020-07-15. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  8. ^ "Ikodinović i Koroman u Odboru Narodne stranke za sport". N1 (in Serbian). 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  9. ^ Živančević, Ana (20 September 2025). "Oglasila se najstarija ćerka Danila Ikodinovića: Prvi put objavila fotku sa ocem i poslala jaku poruku" (in Serbian). Mondo.rs. Archived from the original on 21 September 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  10. ^ Teško nam je, Kurir, June 30, 2008 Archived May 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Sitarica, Jelena (16 September 2025). "Pronašli smo jedinu fotku Ikodinovićeve prve žene: Fatalna Anja se krije od javnosti, Danilo sa njom dobio ćerku" (in Serbian). Mondo.rs. Archived from the original on 1 October 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  12. ^ Snežana Perić predala meč Dači Ikodinoviću!, Svet, June 18, 2004
  13. ^ Odlepio čovek!, Kurir, January 8, 2005
  14. ^ "Zablistala u venčanici OD 20.000 €, a svatove morali da slažu: Nata i Dača su fingirali svoju svadbu, ali krah braka nisu mogli" (in Serbian). Kurir. 2 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  15. ^ Vještica, Naja (16 September 2025). "Svadba sa pevačicom važila za medijski događaj godine" (in Serbian). Kurir. Archived from the original on 1 October 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  16. ^ Hana više voli Natašu, Blic, April 30, 2007
  17. ^ "O čemu priča Nataša Bekvalac?" (in Serbian). Mondo.rs. 24 January 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  18. ^ "Nata se razvodi od Dače zbog prevare" (in Serbian). Mondo.rs. 27 January 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  19. ^ B., E. (27 January 2011). "Milica Dražin: Nisam Dačina devojka" (in Serbian). Blic. Archived from the original on 3 October 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  20. ^ "Bila joj je ispred nosa: Dača Ikodinović je Natašu Bekvalac prevario sa stomatološkom sestrom" (in Serbian). Blic. 13 October 2019. Archived from the original on 3 October 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  21. ^ Radojković, Marija; Maksimović, Dinka (27 January 2011). "Nataši starateljstvo nad Hanom" (in Serbian). Blic. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  22. ^ "Nataša i Dača ipak na sudu" (in Serbian). Mondo.me. 21 April 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  23. ^ Roksandić, Tamara (28 April 2011). "Nataša i Dača: Konačno razvod!" (in Serbian). Hello! Srbija. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  24. ^ Roksandić, Tamara (10 May 2011). "Nataša Bekvalac i Danilo Ikodinović: Sudska potvrda sporazumnog razvoda" (in Serbian). Hello! Srbija. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  25. ^ Dedakin, Irina (16 March 2023). ""Razvod sa Natašom bi se desio svakako, to se već raspadalo": Ikodinović otkrio nove detalje o stravičnoj nesreći i kraju braka sa Bekvalčevom" (in Serbian). Nova.rs. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  26. ^ Milojević, Milica (29 February 2024). "Dača Ikodinović o stravičnom udesu i bivšoj ženi: "Brak sa Natašom se raspadao i pre saobraćajke"" (in Serbian). Blic. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  27. ^ "Dača pronašao "zamenu" za Natu u Tanji Vračarić!" (in Serbian). PulsOnline.rs. 11 April 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  28. ^ Roksandić, Tamara (11 April 2011). "Danilo Ikodinović: Posle kiše sunce dolazi" (in Serbian). Hello! Srbija. Archived from the original on 3 October 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  29. ^ Roksandić, Tamara (27 April 2011). "Nataša i Dača na sudu 5. maja" (in Serbian). Hello! Srbija. Archived from the original on 3 October 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  30. ^ "Dača neće brak i decu sa Tanjom" (in Serbian). PulsOnline.rs. Kurir. 10 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  31. ^ Dojkić, Sanja (10 August 2023). "Plava, iz Novog Sada, bizarno liči na Natašu Bekvalac: Ovo je devojka sa kojom Danilo Ikodinović vida rane posle razvoda" (in Serbian). Story.rs. Archived from the original on 3 October 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  32. ^ "Ognjenovic gets married to former water polo player Danilo Ikodinovic"
  33. ^ Vještica, Naja (16 September 2025). "Razvode se Maja Ognjenović i Dača Ikodinović: Kraj posle 9 godina braka" (in Serbian). Kurir. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  34. ^ a b Završena istraga nesreće kod Kaća - Ikodinović vozio 173 na sat, Blic, November 17, 2008 Archived January 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  35. ^ Najvažniji meč Dače Ikodinovića, MTS Mondo, June 28, 2008 Archived June 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ Borba za život Danila Ikodinovića, Blic, June 29, 2008
  37. ^ Ikodinović ponovo operisan, B92, June 28, 2008
  38. ^ Dača Ikodinović pred sudom 5. marta, MTS Mondo, January 28, 2009 Archived January 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ Danilo Ikodinović: Sve ono o čemu sam ćutao..., Story, June 2009 Archived 2009-06-30 at the Wayback Machine
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Awards
Preceded by Serbia and Montenegro The Best Athlete of Serbia and Montenegro
2005 		Succeeded by