The inaugural season of the newly launched Conference Cup for men begins tomorrow.
From Friday to Sunday, 19 teams from 14 countries will compete in five groups during Round 1 for spots in the second phase. The top two teams from each group will advance to Round 2, joining the teams that did not qualify for the Euro Cup Group Stage.
For a few eliminated clubs, there is still an opportunity to continue their season if they do not finish among the top two in their groups. Only the clubs from countries ranked 13th and below in the Men’s Clubs Country ranking that did not qualify for Round 2 of the Conference Cup will advance to the Challenger Cup. The clubs that will continue their European season, regardless of their performance this weekend, are Banjaluka (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Vitoria (Portugal), EVK Zaibas (Lithuania), and Galatasaray (Turkey).
The field in Round 1 includes several clubs with great traditions and European trophies in their treasuries, as well as teams that have been on the margins of European water polo but have made progress in recent years.
2025/26 Conference Cup, Round 1, Preview
GROUP A (Utrecht): Honved (HUN), UZSC (NED), PAOK (GRE), Posillipo (ITA)
Two former European champions, Honved and Posillipo, are in the chase for the top spot in Utrecht. Both teams have played well since the start of the season. Honved opened the season strongly. The Budapest-based team won silver in the Hungarian Cup and boasts a perfect 6–0 record in the Hungarian League. Posillipo is currently in 5th place in Serie A1. PAOK has a solid team that could spoil the plans of the two favorites, while the home team, UZSC, has very slim chances.
Day 1 (November 7): UZSC – Honved (19:00), PAOK – Posillipo (20:45)
GROUP B (Athens): Panionios (GRE), Tenerife (ESP), Budva (MNE), White Sharks Hannover (GER)
Panionios and Tenerife are in the first line of the favorites list of the group in Athens. Budva, the leader of the A1 VRL League, is in good form, but it remains uncertain whether the Montenegrins, reinforced by a few foreign players, have the quality to defeat either the Greeks or the Spaniards. However, it’s sure that Budva doesn’t arrive with a white flag. White Sharks, the development team of Waspo Hannover, features several experienced players who could make a significant impact and help the Germans surprise some of their rivals.
Day 1 (November 7): Tenerife – Budva (17:30, CET), Panionios – White Sharks (19:30, CET)
GROUP C (Split): Vitoria Sport Clube (POR), Banja Luka (BIH), Sete Natation (FRA), Mornar Split (CRO).
Host Mornar and French Sete will likely qualify for Round 2. Both clubs are among the top teams in their respective countries. The tournament in the „Poljud“ pool will be a nice opportunity for Banja Luka and Vitoria to gain experience and test their shape before the next European matches, probably in the Challenger Cup.
Day 1 (November 7): Banja Luka – Sete (18:45), Mornar – Vitoria (20:30)
GROUP D (Belgrade): EVK Zaibas (LTU), Partizan (SRB), De Akker (ITA), Neukolln Berlin (GER)
De Akker, featuring several excellent foreign players, including Hungarian Balazs Erdely, is the favorite in the group that will take place in the pool “11. April.” Neukolln enters the tournament as an underdog. A match between Partizan and EVK Zaibas, scheduled for Saturday, will probably be decisive for second place.
Partizan, a seven-time European champion, boasts a very young team, similar to previous seasons, with the oldest player born in 2004. EVK Zaibas, although lacking a rich tradition and hailing from a nation far from the European elite, has made consistent progress each year. Last season, the Lithuanians earned silver in the Challenger Cup. The team’s core consists of experienced players from the former Yugoslav countries, led by Ivan Krapic, who was Croatia’s captain until recently.
Although Partizan has yet to secure a victory this season, its good performance against Crvena Zvezda yesterday was encouraging.
Day 1 (November 7): Partizan – Neukolln (19:00), De Akker – EVK Zaibas (20:45)
GROUP E (Rijeka): Primorje EB (CRO), Galatasaray (TUR), Mataro (ESP).
Primorje, the 2012 Champions League runner-up, has returned to the ranks of the best Croatian clubs and enters the Conference Cup aiming to finish atop the group in front of its home fans. Mataro, from the country of the European and world champions, is regarded as a stronger team on paper than Galatasaray. Despite not having big water polo names on their roster, the Turkish team, which won the 2024 Challenger Cup, possesses a lineup of experienced players that gives them a fighting chance.
Day 1 (November 7): Mataro – Galatasaray (19:00). Primorje bye.
TEAMS JOINING IN ROUND 2 (eliminated from the Euro Cup): Apollon (GRE), Sport Management (GEO), ZV De Zaan (NED), Crvena Zvezda (SRB), Montpellier (FRA), Rapid (ROU), Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO), OSC Potsdam (GEO).
