Zodiac CNAB maintained the Champions League winners’ stronghold on the Super Cup after winning a hard-fought battle against Marseille 10-8 in Barcelona on Wednesday evening. The Spaniards seemed to have the match under control as they led 8-4 at halftime, but the French staged a great comeback and had a man-up to make it 9-8 before a late penalty by Bernat Sanahuja sealed the win for CNAB. Champions League winners are now 23-1 up in the Super Cup finals since the final became a one-off encounter in 2002.
2026 European Aquatics Super Cup
Men’s final
Wednesday 30 September, Barcelona
Zodiac CNAB (ESP) 10-8 CN Marseille (FRA)
(5-2, 3-2, 0-2, 2-2)
For full game stats, CLICK HERE
It was pain and joy for Vince Vigvari in Malta at the Final 4 – he couldn’t play because of his fractured hand, so he had to watch his team-mates from the stands as they fought relentlessly and, in the end, brought the Champions League trophy back to Barceloneta after 12 years.
The Hungarian quickly made up for his absence, scoring the first three goals for CNAB against Marseille, as the hosts got off to a great start in the Super Cup final.
A fine individual action was followed by two pinpoint finishes in man-ups, while Marseille struggled in front of goal at the beginning before Alexandre Bouet and Andrea De Nardi also converted extras to keep the French in the game at 3-2.
Roger Tahull then rifled in from the centre, while Unai Biel’s fierce shot from the perimeter also beat Aussie Nic Porter, who had just joined Marseille after spells at CNAB and Panionios.
Marseille’s first-choice goalkeeper Petar Tesanovic started on the bench due to a minor injury.
The Spanish giants were 5-2 ahead at the end of the first quarter which didn’t see any saves, with all five of CNAB’s shots finding the net while the French had two misses.
Marseille quickly came back into the game early in the second quarter, as Adam Nagy and Thomas Vernoux finished off back-to-back six-on-fives for 5-4, while Porter delivered his first stop between the two blasts.
The level of the hosts’ offence dropped a bit as they lost three balls before Bernat Sanahuja buried an extra in the last second of the possession, ending Barceloneta’s almost five-minute-long drought.
Vernoux waited too long in the next man-up and the defenders took the ball from his hand, while Francesco di Fulvio made his mark in his new home with a fine shot from distance.
This had even bigger consequences as Alessandro Velotto got a great assist from his fellow Italian in the next six-on-five to make it 8-4.
CNAB were millimetres away from expanding the gap to five, but the close-range finish in their last extra was well saved by Porter.
Ugo Crousillat needed three shots to score in the third period.
It took 3:10 minutes to see the first goal after the restart as Marseille got one closer from a man-up, while the Spaniards missed a man-up and Tesanovic, who came in for the second half, also delivered a fine save.
Di Fulvio took the bulk of the shots later in the third, but he was denied three straight times, while Romain Marion-Vernoux came up with a pinpoint shot from a six-on-five after a time-out for 8-6.
Tesanovic’s entry had its impact as the shots from the Barceloneta players lacked the same sharpness and confidence as in the first half – in fact, they were unable to score in the entire third quarter.
They were also missing the usual wise words from Fran Fernandez, as CNAB’s head coach had fallen victim to the tense endgame in the Champions League final against Recco and his red card in Malta kept him confined to the stands for this clash.
As the momentum continued to swing their way, the French climbed back to 8-7 with a blast from Bouet in the opening minute of the fourth, but finally Unai Biel broke CNAB’s silence after exactly 10 minutes.
Still, Crousillat replied straight away for 9-8 and kept the tension rising.
Soon, Marseille had a disallowed goal, then a man-up to make it even, but couldn’t score the equaliser.
CNAB earned a six-on-five with 3:39 to go after a time-out, but the French defence worked well and Tesanovic added two more saves after the rebound and the corner in this minute-long possession.
Next came an extra for Marseille with 2:32 on the clock, also after a time-out, but they were unable to take a shot in 18 seconds.
Roger Tahull had a kind of match-ball, a clear shot from the centre, but hit the post. However, after a turnover foul, he earned a penalty and Sanahuja buried it.
With only 1:11 remaining, it was over at 10-8, especially after Unai Aguirre made a crucial stop in the following man-down.
Though CNAB slowed down a bit in the second half and Marseille almost made them pay for it, when it mattered, the Champions League winners stepped up and added a second Super Cup trophy to their cabinet after 2014, while Marseille had to settle for another loss in the final after 2019.
Also, this was the Champions League winners’ 23rd win in the last 24 finals.
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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics