Europe’s re-eminent club trophy was won by Hungary’s Ferencvaros for a second successive year last weekend in Malta, defeating Serbia’s Novi Beograd 13-11 in the final. The tournament not only showcased the world’s current best internationals, but also champions from the past who are still competing at this elite club level.
Old champions never die, they just fade away. In some cases. However, stardom takes a long time to dim as former internationals still ply their trade with European clubs long after the Olympics, World Championships and World Cups they were chasing.
With the money on offer with top European clubs, there is plenty to go around and elite athletes prove their worth in a myriad of clubs across many borders and thus their water polo careers.
When it came to the Final Four of the European Champions League, past stars were on display along the current batch of superstars, giving their much-needed experience to the proceedings.
Take the much-awarded Felipe Perrone of Spain. He bowed out after the Paris Olympic Games with enough medals to sink a ship but still uses his near-40-year-old frame in favour of Zodiak CNAB (Barceloneta), which finished with the bronze medal after defeating CN Marseille 19-9.
Perrone has won three titles with three clubs —Pro Recco (2012), Barceloneta (2014) and Jug (2016).
For the record, in the weekend semifinals, VK Novi Beograd beat Barceloneta 15-14 on penalties after the match was levelled at 10-10 by fulltime while Ferencvaros had the better of Marseille 14-11.
The Ferencvaros outfit managed to defend the European title, something no other Hungarian team has been able to do in the past, considering six clubs have titles. For Novi Beograd, it was its third defeat in the final since 2022 having lost to Recco in successive years.
Hungarian captain Krisztian Manhercz, like Serbian star Nikola Lukic for Novi Beograd, scored six goals in the final.
Looking at the “retired folk”, former Hungarian skipper Denes Varga and Marton Vamos were on the roster this season and Vamos scored in the final. He was playing alongside Serbia’s current star and triple Olympic gold medallist Dusan Mandic, Italy’s Eduardo Di Somma and Greece’s Stylianos Argyropoulos who also made the scoresheet.
Varga was named ambassador for the event and did not play, but co-commentated on the European Aquatics feed for the Final Four.
Novi Beograd had the services of Greek pair Dimitrios Skoumpakis and Angelos Vlachopoulos, still in the international limelight.
Mandic won titles with Partizan (2011), Pro Recco (2021) and last year with Ferencvaros, taking his tally to four crowns.
Marseille’s Serbian dual Olympic gold medallist Andrija Prlainovic, who was the most valuable player when he won titles with Crvena Zvezda in 2013 and Szolnok in 2017, was not so lucky this time as Marseille finished fourth.
Prlainovic was one of seven leading stars to depart the national team following the second gold medal achieved at Tokyo 2020. His brilliance is still a worthy asset for any team and his record is second to none, having competed in his 13th Champions League final tournament, finishing with five titles — with Partizan (2011), Pro Recco (2012 and 2015), Crvena Zvezda (2013) and Szolnok (2017).
Prlainovic is no stranger to most of the other players in the series and Milos Cuk, the Novi Beograd’s captain, was his team-mate at Partizan in 2011. Prlainovic won the 2017 Champions League in Szolnok alongside Novi Beograd’s coach, Zivko Gocic, Marseille’s captain Ugo Crousillat and Vamos.
Looking at the records, former Australia and Italian captain Pietro Figlioli holds the record for the most Champions League trophies with seven — all with Pro Recco (2007, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2021, 2022 and 2023), while Djordje Perisic won six crowns with Partizan (1964, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1975 and 1976) and Maurizio Felugo won with Posillipo in 2005 and with Pro Recco in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2015.
Prlainovic and former Australian skipper Aaron Younger boast five Champions League trophies each.