Ferencvaros successfully defended the European Super Cup, defeating Pro Recco in a high-scoring thriller in Budapest this evening. The reigning European champions narrowly beat the Italians, 15:14, in the 2025 European Super Cup, securing the club’s sixth trophy in this prestigious competition. Pro Recco remains the record-holder with nine Super Cups, but Ferencvaros is coming closer to the Italian giant in the all-time winners list.
The Hungarians were in the lead for most of the match; however, Recco managed to recover from a poor start, keeping the game competitive until the very end.
Ferencvaros got off to an excellent start, quickly building a 4:1 lead within the first 3 minutes and 5 seconds. At the first break, the score was 6:4.
Slovak player Lukas Durik was the first to score in the second quarter, cutting Recco’s deficit to 5:6 in the 12th minute. Ferencavros’s Gergo Fekete responded immediately, and the teams exchanged goals until the score reached 9:7. In the final 31 seconds of the first half, Recco caught up to the Hungarian team. First, Cannella scored to make it 8:9, and then, ten seconds before the halftime buzzer, Francesco Di Fulvio tied the game at 9:9 from a counterattack.
Granados and Vigvari Photo by Laszlo Balogh
Before the third period, Ferencvaros’ head coach Balazs Nyeki switched the goalkeepers. Soma Vogel (who played his first match after a long recovery from surgery) was replaced by Marton Levai. After less than a minute of play in the third period, Ferencvaros regained an advantage. Dusan Mandic scored for 10:9. But Recco quickly replied with two goals (Cannella and Granados) and went ahead for the first time in the match – 11:10 – in the 19th minute. The Euro Cup winner had a 12:11 lead deep into this period, but Ferencvaros made a quick turn in the final minute. Vamos leveled from a 6 on 5 at 12:12 with 57 seconds left in the quarter, while Manhercz put Fradi in front – 13:12, by converting a penalty shot seven seconds before the last break.
The big battle of nerves continued in a very close contest in the fourth period, when Vogel was back in front of the hosts’ goal. The Italians equalized the score twice (13:13 and 14:14). With three minutes and 17 seconds to go, Marton Vamos added another power-play goal for, as it turned out, the final score – 15:14. In the last three minutes, the hosts’ goalkeeper, Soma Vogel posted two nice saves while his team was a man-down, but neither the Hungarians managed to score, so Recco had several opportunities to level the score. But, it failed to do it. Francesco Di Fulvio had the last chance. However, the ball after his shot went wide with 24 seconds remaining and the contest was over.
Ferencvaros – Pro Recco 15:14 (6:4, 3:5, 4:3, 2:2)
Ferencvaros: Manhercz 4, Fekete 4, Mandic 3, Vamos 2, Di Somma 1, Jansik 1.
Pro Recco: Granados 3, Buric 3, Durik 2, Cannella 2, Di Fulvio 2, Condemi 1.
The Super Cup was the first game broadcast on European Aquatics’ new paid streaming platform, but viewers encountered difficulties. The transmission wasn’t available in many countries for most of the game. The stream was interrupted shortly after the start. Later, in the second half, the signal was restored, but there were breaks.
All winners
9 trophies: Pro Recco (2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023).
6 trophies: Ferencvaros (1978, 1980, 2018, 2019, 2024, 2025)
3 trophies: Mladost (1976, 1990, 1996) and CSK VMF Moscow (1977, 1981, 1983),
2 trophies: Spandau 04 (1986, 1987), Pescara (1988, 1993), Partizan (1991, 2011), Catalunya (1992, 1995) and Jug (2006, 2016);
1 trophy: OSC Budapest (1979), Barcelona (1982), POSK (1984), Dynamo Moscow (1985), Ujpest (1994), Olympiacos (2002), Honved (2004), Posillipo (2005), Primorac (2009), Crvena Zvezda (2013), Barcloneta (2014) and Szolnok (2017).
The Super Cup was inaugurated in 1976, but it wasn’t held in 1989, between 1997 and 2001, and in 2020.
Until 2002, the European champions and the winners of the Cup Winners’ Cup played for the Super Cup. Since 2003, when the Cup Winners’ Cup was discontinued, the Euro Cup winners have been contesting for the trophy.
