Cetus Crowned Nordic Trophy Champions After Thrilling Final in Oradea

May 25, 2025

The 2024/25 edition of the Nordic Trophy wrapped up in style this weekend in Oradea, Romania, bringing together seven ambitious clubs from across Europe. Across three days of intense water polo, fans witnessed comebacks, penalty shootout drama, and a new champion — Cetus from Finland.

Quarterfinal Highlights

The tournament began with three quarterfinal matchups, and from the very first game, it was clear this would be a weekend of high intensity.

In the all-Finnish derby, Cetus made a statement with a dominant 16:5 win over Turun Uimarit.
Oradea, playing on home soil, defeated KVP Kupele Piestany 13:10 in a hard-fought match.
Antwerp booked their semifinal ticket after surviving a penalty shootout against Cheltenham, edging the Brits 13:12 in a thriller.

Semifinal Drama

Vilnius delivered a huge comeback in the first semifinal, turning around a halftime deficit to beat Oradea 13:10 and silence the home crowd.
Cetus, meanwhile, outclassed Antwerp with another composed and dominant performance, booking their spot in the final.

Bronze Match: Redemption for Oradea

In the bronze medal match, Oradea regrouped and overcame Antwerp in a close battle (14:13) to finish third. It was a deserved reward for a strong overall showing by the Romanian side.

The Final: A Champion’s Finish

In a dramatic and high-quality final, Cetus overcame Vilnius 11:10 to lift the trophy. Despite leading most of the game, the Finnish side had to dig deep in the closing minutes as Vilnius earned a man-up chance with 30 seconds to go — but couldn’t convert. Cetus held on to become Nordic Trophy champions.