The first trophy in the LEN competitions this season will be awarded tomorrow.
The upcoming match will be at the same time as the finish of the 2022 season.
European champion Pro Recco and LEN Euro Cup winner Sabadell will face off in the match for the LEN Super Cup. As usual, a reigning Euro Cup Cup champion is a host. The game begins at 13:00 (CET) in Sabadell.
Both teams suffered losses at the beginning of the LEN Champions League. Pro Recco was defeated by Olympiacos in the big derby, played in Piraeus on Tuesday (7:9). Sabadell lost to Ferencvaros at home (7:10) on Wednesday. Therefore, tomorrow’s encounter will be an opportunity to heal the wounds.
Sabadell is the host, but Pro Recco is a heavy favorite.
The LEN Super Cup was inaugurated in 1976. Between 1976 and 2002, the European champions and the winners of the Cup Winners’ Cup met in the game for the trophy. After discontinuing the Cup Winners’ Cup in 2002, the LEN Euro Cup winners battled for the Super Cup.
Since 2003, a LEN Euro Cup winner has won the Super Cup just once. Ferencvaros did it in 2018, beating Olympiacos after a penalty shootout (11:9 – 7:7). In the following year, Ferencvaros retained the Super Cup with a 14:11 win over Marseille. But, “Fradi” qualified for the 2019 Super Cup as the European champion.
Pro Recco has played in the LEN Euro Cup eight times and suffered only one defeat – in its debut in 1984 when it lost to the Cup Winners’ Cup winner POSK Split. After that, the Italian giant won trophies in 2003,2007, 2008, 2010, 2012,2015, and 2021.
Last year, Pro Recco trashed Szolnok (15:4) to win its seventh Super Cup. The Italians are already the record-holders with seven trophies.
Besides, if they win, they will do something that nobody has done to date.
So far, only three clubs have won two back-to-back LEN Super Cups – Spandau 04 (1986 and 1987), Pro Recco (2007 and 2008) and Ferencvaros (2018 and 2019). Therefore, Pro Recco has a chance to become the first club to defend the Super Cup twice.
Sabadell men will debut in the Super Cup. But there are three Super Cup trophies in the Sabadell’s treasury, won by the female team (2013, 2014, 2016).
The hosts will try to upset Pro Recco tomorrow. The Spanish team has mostly stayed the same since the last season when Sabadell’s male squad won its first LEN trophy. It isn’t easy to beat Recco, but the Spaniards had the right to hope.
Pro Recco and Sabadell haven’t played each for a long. Their last encounters were in the 2018 LEN Champions League Group B. Recco recorded two convincing wins five seasons ago (13:5 and 18:9). But that is the history. We’ll see what the present will bring.
The Super Cup will be Recco’s third match within five days. Yesterday, the European champion cruised to a 19:9 victory over Roma in Ostia. It was the first match of the 5th round of the national league. Head coach Sandro Sukno gave more opportunities to young players to prove themselves in this game. Matteo Iocchi Gratta led the scorers with six goals.
