The time for the start of the 2026 Euro Cup has come. All eight matches of the first round of the Group Stage of the second-tier European competition will take place tomorrow.
None of the eight quarterfinalists from the 2024/25 season will participate in the Group Stage, as they are all competing in the Champions League. Additionally, only five of the eight finalists from the 2025 Euro Cup will compete in the first phase this time: Jug, Sabac, Steaua, Barcelona, and BVSC.
However, there are many strong teams, and the quality of the groups is balanced, so fierce battles are on the horizon.
The top two clubs from each group will advance to the Round of 16, where they will face the teams eliminated from the Champions League Group Stage.
At first glance, there are three potential candidates for the Round of 16 in each group, but one of the groups – D – has no clear underdog.
2025/26 Euro Cup Preview
GROUP A
Two Croatian clubs – the 2024 Euro Cup winner Jug and Solaris – along with Spanish club Terrassa and ASC Duisburg from Germany, will compete for the top two positions in Group A. Since 2024, Croatian giant Jug has lost several key players who were instrumental in the Euro Cup victory, but the club’s legend, Andro Buslje, has returned to Jug. With a strong tradition and a roster that combines experienced players and young talents, Jug is considered the favorite in this group, while Terrassa and Solaris will pose the biggest threat to the Dubrovnik-based team.
Unlike Jug, Terrassa lacks world and Olympic champions on its team. Still, the Spaniards’ dominant performances in the Euro Cup Qualifications indicate they could achieve good results in this season’s Euro Cup. Jug and Terrassa will face off tomorrow, providing a real test for Jug to prove whether they truly deserve the title of favorite.
Solaris returned to the Top 4 in Croatia last season but lost to Jug in the bronze medal playoffs. The Sibenik-based team secured 1st place in their qualifying group. ASC Duisburg is unlikely to reach 2nd place in the group, but the Germans do not want to be a team against which the rivals improve goal differences.
GROUP B
In Group B, three teams — Szolnok, Barcelona, and Trieste — all have realistic chances of reaching the Round of 16. Szolnok, the 2017 European champion and 2021 Euro Cup winner, has not had the best start to the season. Still, a humiliating 4:13 loss to Terrassa in the EC Qualifications ten days ago does not reflect the quality of a team that won the bronze medal in the Hungarian Cup in late September, defeating Vasas and BVSC. Fortunately for Szolnok, they will open the group stage against Dinamo Bucharest, considered the easiest opponent. An encounter between Trieste and Barcelona, a double Euro Cup winner (1995 and 2004) in Italy tomorrow, is expected to be a great showdown.
GROUP C
Like in Group A, a national derby will take place in Group C, where Panathinaikos and Vouliagmeni were drawn together. Vouliagmeni has a richer tradition than Panathinaikos, which has never won a trophy in Greek or international competitions. Vouliagmeni has been the second-best Greek club for years. However, the roles have reversed this season. Vouliagmeni has undergone significant rejuvenation, and most of its players are still juniors. Panathinaikos is much stronger than last season, having made several key additions, including Dimitrios Skoumpakis from Novi Beograd and Arestidis Chalyvopoulos, who was one of Vouliagmeni’s key players.
BVSC has made significant progress in recent years. The Budapest-based team was the only one to defeat Pro Recco in the 2025 Euro Cup but eventually lost in a narrow encounter to Primorac in the eighth-finals. This year, BVSC has a stronger team than last year, reflecting their increased ambitions. The fourth club in this group is Buducnost Podgorica, the only team among the 16 clubs making its debut in a European competition. The Montenegrin team has yet to demonstrate its capabilities after two convincing losses to favorites Radnički and Primorac at the start of the VRL Premier League.
GROUP D
After reaching the Champions League Quarter Finals last year, Savona returns to the Euro Cup, a competition they have won three times (in 2005, 2011, and 2012) and lost two finals (the last in 2023). As one of the top Italian clubs in recent decades, Savona has the strongest chances to win 1st place in a tough Group D. However, the remaining three teams will not be easy to beat.
Spandau has shown its potential with strong performances in both the Champions League and the Euro Cup qualifications. Sabac has consistently been among the top four teams in Serbia for several years and has achieved solid results in the Euro Cup in the last few seasons. Steaua, which has a good team, appears to be an underdog in this group. But, unlike the underdogs in Groups A, B, and C, if Steaua enters the race for one of the top two spots, it won’t be a huge surprise. It can happen that the competition for the 1st and 2nd places in the group turns into a four-horse race.
Day 1, Schedule (October 16)
Group A: Jug – Terrassa at 19:00, Solaris – ASC Duisburg at 19:30
Group B: Dinamo Bucharest – Szolnok at 19:30 (CET), Trieste – Barcelona at 20:00.
Group C: Panathinaikos – Buducnost at 20:00 (CET), Vouliagmeni – BVSC at 16:00 (CET)
Group D: Spandau 04 – Savona at 19:00, Sabac – Steaua Bucharest at 20:00.
