The draw for the Euro League qualifications took place in Verona this afternoon. Verona has been the venue of two qualification groups in the last four days.
2020/21 LEN Euro League quarterfinals (February 27 and March 13)
Kinef Kirishi (Russia) – Dynamo Uralochka (Russia)
Astralpool Sabadell (Spain) – Olympiacos Piraeus (Greece)
CN Mataro(Spain) – UVSE Budapest (Hungary)
SIS Roma (Italy) –Dunaujvaros (Hungary)
At first sight, the derbies are the clash between the two Russian clubs and the encounter between Sabadell and Olympiacos.
Sabadell, Kinef, and Olympiacos have won all titles in the Euro League since 2013. The other five teams have never won the Euro League. UVSE finished 2nd in the 2016 season (lost to Sabadell 8:11 in the final), Dynamo Uralochka was the runner-up in 1992 and 2002. Dunajvaros won the silver medal in 2003.
Kinef was the European champion in 2017 and 2018. Dynamo Uralochka was one of the best European teams in the early 2000s, while it has started coming back to the circle of top teams on the continent in the last few years.
Sabadell is the reigning European champion and a five-time winner (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019). Olympiacos, the 2015 champion, and Sabadell faced off in the 2018/19 Euro League final. The Spaniards won 13:11.
Kinef, Dynamo, Sabadell, Olympiacos, and Dunaujvaros played in the quarterfinals last season. UVSE, SIS Roma and Mataro were stopped in the Preliminary round a year ago.
According to the plans, the quarterfinals are to be played on a home-and-away basis, but LEN retains the right to stage all matches at one venue in case the pandemic situation endangers the fair conditions for any of the participating teams, LEN announced yesterday.
The winner of the four duels in the quarterfinals will advance to the LEN Euro League Final Four. The losing sides will play at the LEN Trophy F4.
