New system of LEN competition for clubs; first Challenger Cup starts in season 2022/23

LEN has approved the system of the European competitions for clubs in the season 2022/23.

A new competition has been included in the calendar. It is the LEN Challenger Cup for men.

The new cup is an excellent opportunity for the clubs from countries where water polo isn’t at the highest level.

Almost all teams in the LEN competitions will have a chance to play in the Challenger Cup if they are eliminated at the start of the qualifications. They won’t finish the European season if they fail to pass the first hurdle in the LEN Euro Cup or the Champions League qualifications.

The qualification systems of the Champions League and the LEN Euro Cup have been changed, too. In the past seasons (with an exception of a “Covid 2020/21 season”), only the four losing teams in the Champions League Qualification Round 3 continued the season in the LEN Euro Cup. From the season 2022/23, the teams that don’t qualify for the Champions League Qualification Rounds 2 and 3 will also play in the LEN Euro Cup or in the LEN Challenger Cup.

As for the Champions League Preliminary Round, the system remains the same – 16 clubs will be split into two groups (12 wild card holders and 4 teams from the qualifications). Eight teams will qualify for the Final Eight. But, the formula of the Preliminary Round will probably be changed from the season 2023/24.

In the next season, the games at the Final Eight will be played in a span of four, not in three days. The top four clubs will have a day off before the medal matches.

The LEN Euro Cup will consist of two qualification rounds and four knockout stages (eight-finals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final)

A country can have up to five clubs in the Europan cups for men. The regulations of the LEN Euro Cup have been changed – a country may enter up to three clubs for this cup (one more than it was before)

The countries with the Champions League wild card holders can have up to six clubs in the LEN competitions in the season 2022/23.

As for the female competitions, the LEN Euro League has been renamed the LEN Women’s Champions League. A new name for the LEN Trophy is the LEN Women’s Euro Cup. But, these are not only two changes. The qualification system is different, it provides more opportunities to the teams eliminated at the start of the competitions.

Find out the details about the new system of the LEN competitions for clubs.

2022/23 LEN Champions League

Participants in the Preliminary Stage: 12 Wild Card holders + 4 clubs from the qualifications.

The list of the wild card holders is the same as in the 2021/22 season. LEN has extended the contracts to one year with the current wild card clubs: Pro Recco (Italy), Novi Beograd (Serbia), Ferencvaros (Hungary), Barceloneta (Spain), Hannover (Germany), Marseille (France), Jug (Croatia), Olympiacos (Greece), Radnicki (Serbia), Spandau 04 (Germany), Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia), Steaua Bucharest (Romania).

Novi Beograd is directly qualified for the Final Eight as a technical host.

According to the national league’s rankings, two clubs per country can enter the competition. As for the ten countries with the wild card clubs, three clubs can enter the Champions League (including the wild card holders).

Qualification Round 1

Tournaments on a round-robin formula, with 4 – 6 clubs per group.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the LEN Champions Champions League Qualification Round 2.

If four clubs play in the group, the clubs ranked 3rd and 4th will qualify for the LEN Challenger Cup. 

If the group has 5 or 6 clubs, the 5th and eventually 6th-ranked club in the group qualify for the LEN Challenger Cup, and the clubs ranked in 3rd and 4th place qualify for the LEN Euro Cup Qualification Round 2. 

(The LEN Technical Water Polo Committee may change the system depending on the number of the participating clubs)

Qualification Round 2

Tournaments on a round-robin system, 4 groups.

The clubs ranked 1st and 2nd qualify for the LEN Champions League Qualification Round 3.

All other clubs qualify for the LEN Euro Cup Qualification Round 2.

Qualification Round 3

The games between clubs ranked 1st and 2nd in the groups of Round 2 on a home and away basis.

The four winners qualify for the LEN Champions League Preliminary Round.

The four losers qualify for the LEN Euro Cup eighth finals.

Preliminary Round

The competition formula is the same as in the previous several seasons. The 16 teams will be split into two groups of eight clubs. They will play on a double-round robin system with 14 competition days.

The top four from each group will qualify for the Final Eight. If the host of the F8 is not among the first four in the group, then only the clubs ranked 1st – 3rd in that group will advance to the F8.

Final Eight

The competition will be played in 4 days, not in 3 as it was until this summer. The top four teams will have a day off between the semifinals and the medal matches.

Day 1 – Quarterfinals; Day 2 – Semifinals; Day 3 – Finals 5th – 6th and 7th-8th place; Day 4 – Finals 3rd-4th and  1st-2nd place

2022/23 LEN Euro Cup

Each country may enter up to 3 clubs for the LEN Euro Cup (one more than it was before).

Qualification Round 1

All clubs entered in the competition will play in the tournament system, 4 groups.

The last two ranked clubs in each group will continue the season in the LEN Challenger Cup. All other clubs will qualify for the LEN Euro Cup Qualification Round 2.

(The LEN TWPC may change the playing system in accordance with the number of clubs entered in the LEN Euro Cup).

Qualification Round 2

Besides the clubs from the Qualification Round 1, the clubs eliminated from the Champions League Qualification Rounds 1 and 2 will participate in this stage.

The round-robin tournaments will be played in 8 groups.

The clubs ranked 1st and four clubs ranked 2nd with the best coefficient qualify for the LEN Euro Cup eighth-finals.

(The LEN TWPC may change the system in accordance with the number of clubs qualified for this stage)

Knockout stage (from eighth-finals to final)

A total of 16 clubs will play in the eight finals – 12 from the Qualification Round 2 and four losing teams in the Champions League Qualification Round 3.

The games will be played on a home-away basis – the winners will qualify for the quarterfinals.

The quarterfinals (8 teams), semifinals (4 teams) and the final (2 teams) will be played on a home-away basis, too.

2022/23 LEN Challenger Cup

Preliminary Round

Clubs qualified from the Champions League Qualification Round 1 and the LEN Euro Cup Qualification Round 1 will be seeded into the groups. The tournament system will be applied.

In the case of 4 groups, the clubs ranked 1st and 2nd in each group will qualify for the quarterfinals (the 1st-placed will play against 2nd-placed in the quarters)

In the case of 2 groups, the best 4 ranked teams will qualify for the quarterfinals.

(The LEN TWPC may change the system  depending on the number of the clubs qualified for the competition)

Knockout rounds

The quarterfinals (8 teams), the semifinals (4 teams) and the final (2 teams) will be played on a home-away basis.

2022/23 LEN Women’s Champions League

Preliminary Round

Each country may enter with 4 clubs in the competition.

Participating clubs will be split into 4 groups. The groups will be played on a round-robin system.

The clubs ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each group will qualify for the Qualification Round 2.

All other clubs will continue the season in the LEN Women’s Euro Cup Preliminary Round.

The four clubs that participated in the previous Euro League Final Four (Champions League) are directly qualified for the Qualification Round 2 if they are the national champions. Otherwise, the champions of the countries from which arrived the clubs played the previous edition of the Final Four, will take their place.

(The LEN TWPC may change the system in accordance with the number of the Clubs entered in the Champions League)

Qualification Round 2

The 16 clubs (4 from the previous edition of Euro League Final Four, or the champions of their countries, and 12 from Qualification Round I) will be seeded into 4 groups of 4 clubs.

The tournaments will be played on a round-robin system.

The clubs ranked 1st and 2nd will qualify for the Quarterfinals of the LEN Women’s Champions League.

The clubs ranked 3rd and 4th are qualified for the Euro Cup Preliminary Round.

Quarterfinals

The games between the clubs qualified from the Qualification Round 2 on a home and away basis.

The winners qualify for the Final Four.

Final Four

The Final Four will be played in 3 days.

Day 1 – Semifinals; Day 2 – Day off; Day 3 – Final

2022/23 LEN Women’s Euro Cup

Preliminary Round

All clubs qualified (eliminated) from the Len Women’s Champions League Qualification Round 1 and 2 will be seeded into the 4 groups which will be played in the tournaments.

The clubs ranked in the 1st and 2nd places in each group will qualify for the Quarterfinals.

(The LEN TWPC can change the system in accordance with the number of the Clubs qualified for the competition)

Knockout rounds (quarterfinals, semifinals, final)

Quarterfinals: The games between clubs ranked 1st and 2nd in the groups at the Preliminary Round on a home and away basis. The winners qualify for the semifinals.

The semifinals and the final will be played on a home-and-away basis, as well as the quarterfinals.

All qualification rounds in three days

In all LEN European Club Competitions 2022/2023 the qualification rounds will be last for 3 competition days:

Tournament with 4 clubs – Each day 1 round

Tournament with 5 clubs – First two days 2 rounds per day, third day 1 round

Tournament with 6 clubs – First two days 2 rounds per day, third day 1 round

Tournament with 7 clubs – Two sub-groups at the Tournament (4 Clubs and 3 Clubs). After the Round Robin system in each sub-group, the games for the final ranking will be played between the clubs from different sub-groups (A1-B1, A2-B2, A3-B3). On the first day will be played 1 round, on the second day 2 rounds, and on the third day, the ranking games will be played.

More articles about the Champions League

More articles about the LEN Euro Cup

More articles about the Women’s Euro League