It’s swim-off time in the Champions League, with the first action-packed weekend just around the corner as the Qualification Round starts on Friday. Six Group Stage spots are up for grabs, and three days of intense battling await at three venues across the continent.
The top two ranked sides from each group will qualify for the main Group Stage, where 10 more teams await – FTC-Telekom, Zodiac CNAB, Pro Recco, Olympiacos Piraeus, Marseille, Mladost Zagreb, Radnicki Kragujevac, Waspo Hannover, Jadran Herceg Novi and Steaua Bucharest.
Teams finishing third and fourth will continue in the Euro Cup Group Stage.
The draw for the Champions League Group Stage is scheduled to take place on Monday, 21 September and can be viewed live on the European Aquatics YouTube channel.
Group A (Oradea)
VK Novi Beograd Tehnomanija (SRB), CSM Oradea (ROU), Spandau 04 Berlin (GER), Team Strasbourg (FRA)
With three regular Group Stage participants lining up in Group A, the fight for the two available berths is expected to be fierce in Oradea.
Novi Beograd appear to be the favourites, and the Serbs are determined to go all the way, with their pool set to host the Final Four next May.
Still, their journey is going to be anything but easy, as hosts Oradea, who reached the Quarter Final Stage two years ago, and Germany’s Spandau 04 will be eager to upset the Serbian giants.
On paper, NBG should clear this first hurdle, despite looking less formidable than a couple of seasons ago. Oradea’s mix of Romanian national team players and quality foreign aces gives the hosts plenty to work with, while Spandau’s line-up may lack the depth required for the rigours of Champions League competition.
The German club’s pre-season press release even labelled their side as underdogs in Oradea, with preparations far from ideal and many players joining the squad late.
Spandau’s long-time goalie, Laszlo Baksa, also called time on his career at the end of last season, leaving the young keepers with a challenging task as they look to fill the Hungarian veteran’s shoes.
Oradea’s seasoned head coach, Petar Kovacevic, is optimistic ahead of the start.
“Our preseason was packed and included important tests for our players. We practiced and played in the company of teams such as FTC, Radnicki, Vasas and some other Hungarian clubs.
“We’re more than happy with how it all went. The players have been working really hard to be in top shape for the start of our European campaign. Now, we have all players healthy and available for selection, which is the best a coach can wish for.”
The team is also fresh from landing their first trophy at home.
“Winning the Romanian Cup after a convincing display against our main rivals, Steaua, was a great boost for the entire team.
“We feel we’re at full capacity. Playing this event in our own pool is extremely important. Hosting this weekend’s Champions League event is a great honour, as well as a great responsibility.
“At first glance, it’s an open group, with everyone having a chance to advance. I believe we’re ready and, as I always say, I consider my players the best in the world. I fully trust we’ll be able to achieve our goal.”
Team Strasbourg may be the other underdogs here, but French national team goalie Hugo Fontani insists they won’t be travelling to the pool with a white flag in their hands.
“Playing in Europe’s premier competition is both an opportunity and a privilege,” he said. “Testing ourselves against the best is a real challenge for the team and the club as a whole.
“The city of Strasbourg is also proud to have a local club representing it at the highest European level; it really validates the work the club puts in year after year.
“Everyone’s ready for the challenge. The goals are simple – to compete with the best European teams and gain experience at the highest level, especially for our younger players. We’re going to fight to achieve the best possible results and see where that takes us.”
Group B (Tbilisi)
AN Brescia (ITA), CN Sabadell (ESP), A-Polo Sport Management (GEO), Budva BR (MNE)
Group B also promises plenty of excitement. At first glance, Brescia and Sabadell, the second best sides from Italy and Spain respectively, might appear to have an easy ride in store.
While Brescia are clearly the strongest in this quartet, Sabadell are about to start a new chapter under a new coach, while hosts A-Polo Sport Management may challenge them with a further strengthened line-up.
It would also be a grave mistake for any of the three sides to write off Budva. The Montenegrins earned their place in this competition by knocking out Primorac, a strong Group Stage participant last season, in their home league.
Albert Espanol, who took over the coaching duties at Sabadell from Quim Colet after his eight-year spell brought tremendous success to the club, knows there is no easy beginning to this new chapter.
“We’ve just started a new project with a new style, a new system, and we’re very excited about it,” said Espanol.
“We can’t wait to get started. It’s our first competition of the year, it’s very important for us, and our goal is to qualify for the Champions League and once there, of course, to get as far as we can.
“We know it’s a very hard group with very, very good teams, and teams that are renewed regarding last year with new players. Even with new coaches, so everything is open. The level is very high, but we will fight to achieve our goals.”
Budva’s Dejan Lazovic is in an upbeat mood ahead of the event.
“We’re ready and excited for the challenge. We’re a new team stepping onto the European stage after many years, and we’ll do everything we can to represent Budva in the best possible way. We can’t wait for the start.”
Fellow Montenegrin Savo Cetkovic has a similar view.
“We’re proud to see our club back playing at the highest level. We hope to make our mark and stay here.”
The Georgian hosts, meanwhile, will be hoping the outstanding scoring skills of their new addition, Nikola Moskov, are on show this weekend.
“First of all, I’m very happy I’m here with these guys,” the Montenegrin said. “I know almost all the players from before. Also, we played against each other last season, so I know this is a team that’s growing with a lot of ambition.
“This team has big potential and so many good players, so I hope everything is going to go well for us.”
Group C (Split)
VK Jadran Split (CRO), Endo Plus Service Honved (HUN), Panathinaikos AC (GRE)
The third group may only have three teams, but all three are the respective runners-up from Croatia, Hungary and Greece.
Hosts Jadran have lost a couple of key players, while Panathinaikos have further strengthened their squad and are determined to progress to the Group Stage.
Honved, finalists in last season’s Conference Cup, have no real superstars but rely on their collective strength that saw them cause headaches even for the seemingly untouchable Ferencvaros on Hungarian soil.
Honved’s giant goalie, now a regular in Hungary’s national team, Kristof Csoma, believes they can make the Group Stage.
“We’re really looking forward to this weekend. It’s been a long time since the club last competed in the Champions League Group Stage, which makes us even more determined to qualify this time.
“There are two tough games ahead of us, but we’re physically ready, and we’ve also prepared well tactically. We’ve analysed the strengths of Panathinaikos and Jadran Split, as well as any potential weaknesses we may be able to exploit.”
The Greeks also arrive in Split with a clear goal in mind. Their coach Dimitrios Mazis said, “We have to play against two very good teams, Honved and Jadran, who both have rich water polo histories.
“I believe if we play well, we’ll have a good chance of qualifying. We’re working on that, and I believe we can achieve that.”
Panathinaikos’ star player, freshly crowned World Cup winner Dimitrios Skoumpakis, also believes they have a fine chance of going through.
“We have two tough games, but the goal is to win both and advance. That’s the plan, and we’ve worked hard for it. We’re ready to complete it.”
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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics