A few days after an exciting fourth round of the Champions League quarterfinal stage with three close encounters, new thrills on the European water polo stage are on the horizon.The first matches of the Euro Cup semifinals will take place on Saturday.
Three national champions – Radnicki, Jadran Split, and Marseille, along with BVSC, remain in the battle for the trophy.
Tomorrow, Radnicki will host Marseille, and Jadran and BVSC will meet in Split.
Since dropping from the Champions League to the Euro Cup, Radnicki has been considered the top favorite to win the trophy in this second-tier European competition for clubs. The team from Kragujevac has proven its status as a favorite with four victories in the Euro Cup – over Barcelona in the Round of 16 and Primorac in the quarterfinals. In both of these stages, Radnicki secured convincing away wins in the first leg.
The Serbs, encouraged by their recent triumph in the Premier VRL League, will face Marseille, a team Radnicki has played against only once. It was a long time ago – in the 2014 Champions League Qualifications. Radnicki recoded a narrow 8:7 win at the tournament in Marseille.
Marseille had big ups and downs in the Champions League. The French are the only team that beat Barceloneta this season, but after that it suffered several losses. As for the Euro Cup, they have had very demanding tasks. In the eight-finals, Marseille eliminated Savona thanks to one goal (it beat Savona 12:11 in Italy, and the match in France ended in a 13:13 draw). In the quarterfinals, the French were better than Sabadell (17:12 in France and 14:14 in Spain).
Radomir Drasovic Photo by Slobodan Sandic
It’s clear which team the favorite is. Still, Marseille, with several experienced players, including Radomir Drasovic, who moved to France from Radnicki last summer, has caused trouble for the favorites in the last several seasons, so the Serbian champion has to do its best.
Radnicki and Marseille have already won one Euro Cup each (Radnicki in 2013 and Marseille six years later). Last season, Radnicki finished 2nd, after Pro Recco defeated it in the final.
The participants in the second pair, Jadran and BVSC, are going for their first-ever trophy in this competition. Jadran’s biggest achievement was 2nd place in 1998. BVSC has played only once in the semifinals, in 2003. BVSC is chasing its first trophy in the European cups, while Jadran was a European champion twice in its golden age in the 1990s, and won the Super Cup.
Jadran and BVSC haven’t played each other in the last 15 years.
The Croatian champion didn’t shine in the Champions League, earning just three points in the group stage against Pro Recco, Novi Beograd, and Jadran Herceg Novi. It has already faced a Hungarian club in the Euro Cup and started its campaign in this competition by outplaying Szolnok in the eighth-finals (15:10 and 21:14). In the quarters, the Croats played two exciting games against Panathinaikos. After earning a narrow win in Athens (11:10), they secured a draw in the dying seconds of a high-scoring game at home (19:19).
BVSC finished 1st in a very balanced Euro Cup group, ahead of Panathinaikos, Vouliagmeni and Buducnost. Then, it eliminated Vasas in the Budapest derby in the eighth finals (8:11 and 20:13). BVSC dominated both legs of its quarterfinal series against Oradea (14:8 and 12:7).
Marko Bijac, the pillar of Jadran’s defense Photo by VK Jadran Split
Jadran has several excellent players who have won a number of medals with the Croatian national team. There is Toni Nemet, who has clinched medals with Hungary. BVSC, which has been returning to the top of Hungarian (and European) water polo in the last few seasons, also has several national team members and experienced players who can make a difference in crucial moments, as well as many young talents.
Jadran lost to Mladost in the Croatian derby, its final rehearsal before the semifinals. BVSC is in a series of good results. Two days ago, it beat Honved in a penalty shootout. Now, two teams share 2nd place.
The matches between the top teams in counties that are water polo powerhouses promise exciting battles.
2026 Euro Cup Semifinals, Leg 1, April 25
Jadran Split – BVSC at 18:00
Radnicki – Marseille at 20:30
The return matches will be played on May 9
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: total-waterpolo.com
