Ferencvaros retains European crown, writing new chapter in Hungarian water polo history

Ferencvaros managed to defend the European title. In the 2025 Champions League final, the Hungarian champion beat Novi Beograd 13:11.

Six Hungarian clubs have won the European title, but Ferencvaros became the first to defend the title and the first of these six to clinch three Champions League trophies.

On the other hand, Novi Beograd suffered its third loss in the finals of the elite water polo competition for clubs (following the defeats to Recco in 2022 and 2023). However, the Serbian team, which entered the season significantly rejuvenated, shouldn’t be disappointed. It had a good season and played very well in the final.

Until the finish of the third quarter, the teams were in an even contest. In the third quarter, Ferencvaros made a 4:0 run, turning around a 6:7 deficit to a 10:7 lead. The Hungarians didn’t let Novi Beograd equalize in the remainder of the game.

Ferencvaros celebrates, but both teams had their heroes in the final. Krisztian Manhercz (Ferencvaros) and Nikola Lukic (Novi Beograd) scored six goals each.

Still, Manhrecz led the winning team and he was voted the MVP of the tournament.

2025 Champions League, Final

Novi Beograd – Ferencvaros 11:13 (3:3, 2:2, 3:5, 3:3)

Novi Beograd: Lukic 6, Martinovic 2, Skoumpakis 1, Perkovic 1, Vlachopoulos 1.
Ferencvaros: Manhercz 6, Fekete 2 Mandic 1, Vamos 1, Di Somma 1, Argyropoulos 1, Jansik 1.

Novi Beograd entered the match with the same lineup that defeated Barceloneta in the semifinals. For Ferencvaros, Toni Nemet, who missed the game against Marseille, replaced Erik Molnar.

The opening minutes of the game suggested that defense and patience would play a crucial role. There were no goals until the 5th minute when Manhercz converted a man-up opportunity, giving the Hungarians a 1:0 lead. From that point on, nearly every attack until the end of the quarter resulted in a goal. Nikola Lukic quickly responded to Manhercz’s goal with a man-up score, and shortly after, he added another goal following a turnover by Ferencvaros, putting Novi Beograd in front. Fekete leveled the score with a man-up goal. Lukic then scored his third goal, this time during a 6-on-6 situation. By the end of the first quarter, the teams were tied at 3:3, with Mandic also scoring during an extra player opportunity.

The second quarter began similarly to the first. Manhercz scored the first goal, this time during an action play, while Nikola Lukic converted another man-up chance to level the score at 4:4. Di Somma then gave Ferencvaros a 5:4 lead with a double man-up. Novi Beograd responded by converting its next extra player opportunity, with Skoumpakis finding the net to equalize the score. After a rapid series of four goals in just two and a half minutes, both teams tightened their defenses, and the score remained unchanged until the half-time break – 5:5.

Zalanki (OLY) and Lukic (NBG) Photo by Slobodan Sandic

Nikola Lukic was on fire this evening. In the 18th minute, he added the fifth goal to his tally. Novi Beograd was ahead again, but not for long, as the best scorer of the 2025 Champions League, Stylianos Argyropoulos, got on the scoresheet, making it 6:6. But, Ferencvaros couldn’t find a way to stop Lukic, who gave Novi Beograd a new advantage with a 6-meter shot. Novi Beograd had Nikola Lukic, but Ferencvaros had Krisztian Manhercz. The experienced Hungarian scored two back-to-back powerplay goals and Ferencvaros took the first lead in the second half, 8:7 (22nd minute). Then Novi Beograd missed an extra player shot and paid for it. Gergo Fekete scored from a counterattack, and two goals separated the rivals for the first time – 9:7. That was maybe the crucial moment. Following that goal, Novi Beograd wasted another man-up, and  Szilard Jansik stretched the margin to three – 10:7. Miroslav Perkovic closed the quarter with a goal from a close-range shot.

Krisztian Manhercz (Ferencvaros) Photo by Laszlo Balogh

However, Novi Beograd couldn’t come back in the match. The young Serbian side fought hard, but  Ferencvaros controlled the game at both ends of the pool. Soma Vogel commanded the defense, while Krisztian Manhercz led the attack with two more goals. The team that was the heavy favorite at the start of the season won the trophy.