The new season of the LEN Champions League will be opened tomorrow, by the tournaments of the first qualification round.
Twelve teams, split into two groups, will battle for their spots in the 2nd round.
Group A will be played in Sabac (Serbia). Two Serbian clubs – national champion Sabac and runner-up Crvena Zvezda (Red Star) will compete in this group. Their rivals are Dynamo Moscow (Russia), Oradea (Romania), Galatasaray (Turkey) and Apollon Smirnis (Greece).
CN Barcelona (Spain) will be the host of Group B. Besides the Spaniards, Steaua Bucharest (Romania), Sintez Kazan (Russia), Enka Istanbul (Turkey), Pays d’Aix (France) and Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) play in this group.
The top four teams from each group advance to the second round.
It’s hard to predict the outcome in the group in Sabac. The host and Apollon Smirnis will make their debuts at the European stage, but both teams have high ambitions.
Crvena Zvezda played in the Main Round last season, as a wild card-holder. The Belgrade-based side suffered 14 defeats in as many matches. This season, Red Star has a team which can reach at least the second round. A legendary Igor Milanovic is a new head coach, while Crvena Zvezda brought a few very good reinforcements: Nikola Radjen (who returned from Dynamo Moscow), Milos Vukicevic ( who came from Canottieri)…
Dynamo Moscow, which was very close qualifying for the Final Eight in the previous two editions, enters the new season with a rejuvenated squad. Just five players that were in the squad last season, didn’t leave the club this summer. But, the Russians are also among the serious contenders for reaching the second round.
Oradea’s biggest star is Serbian goalkeeper Gojko Pijetlovic, who returned to the club this summer after he spent a season in Sabac.
Galatasaray arrives in Sabac as an underdog, but nothing is impossible.
Host Barcelona, Sintez Kazan (the winner of the 2007 Euro Cup) and Romanian champion Steaua (participant in the Main Round of the Champions League in the past two seasons), are favorites in the group in Barcelona.
Nobody underestimates Pays d’Aix. The French lost its best scorer Ugo Crousillat during this summer (he returned to Marseille), but the club management composed a good squad, which can jump over the first hurdle in the qualifications. The Frenchs’ most important reinforcements are Montenegrin goalkeeper Slaven Kandic and Spaniard Albert Espanol.
Enka and Banja Luka will try to surprise favorites.
Champions League, Qualification Round 1 (August 29th – September 1st )
Group A (Sabac)
Apollon Smyrnis (Greece), Dynamo Moscow (Russia) CSM DiGi-Oradea (Romania), VK Sabac (Serbia), CrvenaZvezda (Serbia) Galatasaray (Turkey).
Group B (Barcelona)
CN Barcelona (Spain), Sintez Kazan (Russia) Steaua Bucharest (Romania), Pays D’Aix Natation (France) Enka Istanbul (Turkey), VK Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
The top four teams from each group advance to the second round.
Teams which start competition from the Qualification Round 2 (September 13th-15th)
Jadran Split (Croatia), CN Terrassa (Spain), Team Strasbourg SNS (France), Lokomotiv Tbilisi (Georgia), OSC Potsdam (Germany), Vouliagmeni (Greece), A-Hid OSC Budapest (Hungary), AN Brescia (Italy)
Teams that have wild cards for the Main Round
Jug Croatia Osiguranje Dubrovnik (Croatia) HAVK Mladost Zagreb (Croatia), CNA Barceloneta (Spain), CN Marseille (France), Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia), Wasserfreunde Spandau 04 (Germany), Waspo 98 Hannover (Germany) Olympiacos Piraeus (Greece), FTC-Telekom Budapest/Ferencvaros (Hungary), Szolnoki Dozsa (Hungary), Pro Recco (Italy), Jadran Herceg Novi (Montenegro).
The draw for the main round will be staged in Barcelona on Friday.
