The draw for the Conference Cup Round 2 was held in Zagreb this morning.
A total of 18 teams will play in this stage of the men’s competition – the top two teams from the groups of Round 1 and eight teams eliminated from the Euro Cup Qualifications.
The participants were split into four groups. The top two teams will advance to the Quarter-Final stage.
In Round 2, as in the first stage played two weeks ago, there is a group featuring two former European champions.
Posillipo, a three-time European champion (1997, 1998, 2005), will serve as the organizer for Group D and will host the 2013 Champions League winner Crvena Zvezda, among other teams. Posillipo reached this stage by winning its group in Round 1, while Crvena Zvezda was eliminated from the Euro Cup. Joining them in Naples will be Dinamo Tbilisi, Sete, and Mataro, the second-placed team in the Spanish League at this moment with a 6-0 record.
The two groups, consisting of five teams, are quite competitive.
In addition to the tournament in Naples, five teams will compete in Group C, where the French squad Montpellier will host De Akker Bologna, Primorje, Honved, and the champion of Georgia Sport Management. Honved was the European champion, Primorje, the 2012 Champions League runner-up, has become one of the best Croatian clubs again.
Two Greek teams, Apollon (the winner of the first Challenger Cup) and Panionios, will play in the group hosted by German club OSC Potsdam, along with the 7-time European champion Partizan.
Mornar Split is the host and the first favorite in Group B.
Men’s Conference Cup, Round 2 (February 20 – 22)
The hosts are marked with *
Group A: Apollon Smyrnis (GRE), OSC Potsdam (GER)*, Panionios (GRE), Partizan (SRB).
Group B: Rapid Bucharest (ROU), ZV De Zaan (NED), Mornar Split (CRO)*, Tenerife (ESP).
Group C: Sport Management (GEO), Montpellier (FRA)*, De Akker (ITA), Primorje Rijeka (CRO), Honved (HUN).
Group D: Crvena Zvezda (SRB),Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO), Posillipo Napes (ITA)*, Sete (FRA), Mataro (ESP).
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Quarterfinal Round. That round will be played in a tournament system with two groups, like Rounds 1 and 2.
Women’s Conference Cup, Round 2 (February 27 – March 1)
As for women, 13 clubs split into four groups will play in the second round of the Conference Cup. The two highest-ranked clubs from each group will advance to the Final Eight, and the remaining five teams will play the tournament for the classification from 9th to 13th place.
The hosts are marked with *
Group A: Bogliasco (ITA), Sant Feliu (ESP),Unirea Alba Iulia (ROU)*.
Group B: Panionios (GRE)*, Cosenza (ITA), PAOK (GRE).
Group C: Vojvodina Novi Sad (SRB)*, Tenerife (ESP), Chania (GRE), Blau Weiss Bochum (GER).
Group D: Galatasaray (TUR)*, Mladost (CRO), Brizz Nuoto (ITA).
More articles about the Conference Cup
