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Another Day, Another Departure from Pro Recco.
Gergo Zalanki, the best water polo player in the world for 2023, has left Pro Recco after three successful years with the club. He follows Konstantinos Kakaris, who has also joined the Greek champions.
The Recco players are leaving the club amid a financial crisis that began after the club's largest donor withdrew his financial support in early June.
The Hungarian international, aged 29, will be playing on the right side in Piraeus, stepping into the role previously held by his compatriot, Marton Vamos. Vamos has returned to FTC-Telekom.
Zalanki began his career at Eger, where he played until 2016. During his time there, he won a Hungarian Championship and a Cup. He then moved to Szolnok, where he secured a Championship and a Super Cup in the 2017-19 period. Following this, he joined Ferencvaros, with whom he reached the final of the LEN Champions League in 2021 and won a LEN Super Cup (2019) along with two Hungarian Cups. In the 2016–17 season, he also played for OSC-Újbuda.
From 2021, Zalanki competed with Pro Recco, where he won two consecutive LEN Champions League titles (2021-22, 2022-23), three LEN Super Cups (2021, 2022, 2023), three Italian Championships, and two Italian Cups.
His standout achievements with the Hungarian national team include winning gold at the 2023 Fukuoka World Championships and a European gold medal in Budapest in 2020. He also earned silver medals at the 2017 World Championships and the 2022 European Championships, along with a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he finished in fourth place.
Upon joining Olympiacos, Zalanki expressed his excitement and high ambitions: "I can't wait! I have heard so many good things about the Greeks and the team. Greece is a beautiful country, and I am thrilled to live there. Olympiacos is a renowned club across all sports, and their fans are incredible. My goal is to win everything! I'm coming to secure as many titles as possible."
Konstantinos Kakaris, Aleksandar Ivovic, Alvaro Granados and now Gergo Zalanki; in four days, Pro Recco has lost four of its biggest players.
