The LEN Euro Cup will continue in ten days. Round 2 is scheduled for October 27 – 30.
A total of 27 teams will participate in Round 2 (16 teams that advanced from the LEN Euro Cup Round 1 and 11 eliminated from the Champions League Qualification Round 2).
They have been split into six groups in today’s draw, held in Nyon.
The hosts will be Sabac (Serbia), Strasbourg (France), Duisburg (Germany), Mladost Zagreb (Croatia), Szolnok (Hungary), and Steaua Bucharest (Romania).
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the eighth-finals. Besides these 12 teams, the four teams that lose the duels in the Champions League Qualification Round 3 will play in the Round of 16.
At first sight, all groups are more-less balanced. There will be more than two favorites at each of the six tournaments.
Group A is, maybe, the most unpredictable. Sabac, former Serbian champion, will host Solaris (Croatia), Jadran (Montenegro), Trieste (Italy) and Pays d’Aix (France). According to the results that they have achieved in the season, almost every team has a chance for 1st or 2nd place.
Three clubs that dropped from the Champions League to the LEN Euro Cup (Tourcoing, Barcelona, ASC Duisburg) play in Group C. Tourcoing and Barcelona had high ambitions in the Champions League but failed to reach Round 3. Besides them, Telimar Palermo is a serious contender for 2nd place here.
LEN Euro Cup, Round 2, draw
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Round of 16.
(the teams marked with * arrived at this stage from the Champions League Qualification Round 2, the others from the LEN Euro Cup Round 1)
Group A (host Sabac)
Jadran HN (Montenegro)*
Solaris (Croatia)
Sabac (Serbia)*
Trieste (Italy)
Pays d’Aix (France)
Group B (host Strasbourg)
Savona (Italy)*
Strasbourg (France)
De Zaan (Netherlands)
Partizan (Serbia)
Group C (host ASC Duisburg)
Tourcoing (France)*
Barcelona (Spain)*
ASC Duisburg (Germany)*
Telimar Palermo (Italy)
Group D (host Mladost)
Mladost Zagreb (Croatia)*
Primorac Kotor (Montenegro)*
Honved (Hungary)
PAOK (Greece)
Mediterrani (Spain)
Group E (host Szolnok)
Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
EVK Zaibas (Lithuania)*
Montepllier (France)
Szolnok (Hungary)
Group F (host Steaua)
Ortigia (Italy)
Vitoria (Portugal)*
Steaua Bucharest (Romania)*
BVSC Budapest (Hungary)
Valis Valjevo (Serbia)
