The European League of Aquatic Sports (LEN) determined the calendar of the European water polo competitions for clubs in the next season.
It’s confirmed that only one qualification round will be played in the Champions League. The qualification tournaments are scheduled for October.
Two teams from the qualifications will advance to the Preliminary Round and join the ten wild-card holders. Recently, LEN Operational Manager Marco Birri said that the wild cards would be allocated to Ferencvaros Budapest, Barceloneta, Dinamo Tbilisi, Jadran Herceg Novi, Jug Dubrovnik, Marseille, Olympiacos Piraeus, Pro Recco, Waspo Hannover, and Spandau 04 Berlin (Szolnok and Mladost Zagreb lost their wild cards).
The 12 teams will be split into two groups, and after ten days of the preliminary stage, the top four from each of the groups will qualify for the Final Eight in Hannover (June, 3-5).
There will be two qualification rounds in the LEN Euro Cup and the knockout competition will start from the eight-finals. LEN hasn’t clarified when the teams which will be eliminated from the LEN Champions League qualification will enter the LEN Euro Cup. Still, the eliminated teams will probably continue their European campaigns from the second qualification round of the LEN Euro Cup.
There are no changes in the LEN Euro League for ladies. After the quarterfinals of the Euro League, the winners of four duels will qualify for the Euro League Final Four, while the eliminated teams will play at the LEN Trophy Final Four.
Champions League
QUALIFICATION ROUND: October 23-25, 2020 (the competition will start earlier in the groups with more than four teams).
PRELIMINARY ROUND
1st match: November 10/11, 2020
2nd match: December 1/2, 2020
3rd match: December 15/16, 2020
4th match: January 5/6, 2021
5th match: January 19/20, 2021
6th match: March 2/3, 2021
7th match: March 23/24, 2021
8th match: April 9/10, 2021
9th match: April 20/21, 2021
10th match: May 7/8, 2021
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE “FINAL EIGHT”: June 3 – 5, 2021
LEN Euro Cup
QUALIFICATION ROUND 1: October 30 – November 1, 2020 (the competition will start earlier in the groups with more than four teams).
QUALIFICATION ROUND 2: November 13 -15, 2020 (the competition will start earlier in the groups with more than four teams).
EIGHT FINALS: December 2 and 16, 2020
QUARTERFINALS: January 6 and 20, 2021
SEMIFINALS: March 6 and 20, 2021
FINALS: April 10 and 24, 2021
Euro League Women
QUALIFICATION ROUND 1: November 27 – 29, 2020 (the competition will start earlier in the groups with more than four teams)
QUALIFICATION ROUND 2: February 5 – 7, 2021 (the competition will start earlier in the groups with more than four teams).
QUARTERFINALS: February 27 and March 13, 2021
WOMEN LEN TROPHY “FINAL FOUR”: April 15 – 17, 2021
WOMEN EURO LEAGUE “FINAL FOUR”: April 29 – May 1, 2021
