Water Polo Champions League: excitement postponed for two weeks

 

 

Luxembourg (LEN) – The first round of qualification kicked off this season’s Water Polo

Champions League action. Marseille and Kotor hosted the two round‐robin tournaments

which didn’t bring huge upsets.

In Marseille the home team showed its strength by finishing second behind Mladost Zagreb

of Croatia: the Marseille side had a great battle with Mladost in the last game of the

tournament, losing only 11‐9, however the French Champion qualified for the next round,

just as the Croatians. DiGi Oradea of Romania and Crvena Zvezda of Serbia also went

through, the toughest battle for the 4th place was between the Serbs and Dinamo Moscow

with Crvena prevailing (8‐6). The Russians – once a major force in these competitions – will

continue in the Euro Cup.

Kotor saw some thrilling encounters: the two best sides, Posillipo Naples (ITA) and Szeged‐

Beton (HUN) drew their game in the first round after a great show of water polo (11‐11). The

host team, Primorac Kotor survived the crucial times in the past months and started to

rebuild the team following the financial crisis, the current squad was good enough to clinch

the last qualifying position after beating Montpellier 14‐10 in their decisive match.

Panathinaikos Athens had also some ups and downs but took the third place in the group

and reached the next stage of the Champions League.

In two weeks time the second round is commencing which promises sheer excitement: four

groups of four teams, with two to earn promotion for the best 16 and each group seems

extremely balanced – but in Vouliagmeni and in Zagreb the fiercest battles are guaranteed.

Champions League Qualification Round I

Teams through: Mladost Zagreb (CRO), Marseille (FRA), Oradea (ROM), Crvena Zvezda (SRB),

Posillipo Naples (ITA), Szeged (HUN), Panathinaikos (GRE), Kotor (MNE).

Teams to Euro Cup: Dinamo Moscow (RUS), Schuurman (NED), Galatasaray (TUR),

Montpellier (FRA), Harkov (UKR)

Draw Champions League Qualification Round II (23 – 25 September 2011)

Group C Group D

(to be played in Vouliagmeni) (to be played in Szeged)