EUROPE'S WEEKEND | The Qualifiers That Shaped European Water Polo

October 9–11, 2026 | Men's Euro Cup and Women's Champions League

In Naples, Posillipo and Vouliagmeni entered the pool knowing only one of them would continue to the Euro Cup group stage. In Athens, Apollon Smyrnis had already secured qualification but still had first place to play for. And in the Women's Champions League, Ethnikos Piraeus faced Catalunya in a match where every goal carried considerable weight.

These were three distinct stories from a European weekend that brought the qualifying stages of two major club competitions to a close.

Beyond the Greek clubs, teams including Primorac Kotor, Jug Dubrovnik, BVSC, De Zaan and Trieste also helped shape the next phase of European competition.

Men's Euro Cup | Apollon Took First Place, Posillipo Took the Final Ticket

Apollon Smyrnis opened its qualifying campaign on Thursday, October 8, with a 16–9 victory over Duisburg. The following three matches would make its achievement considerably more memorable.

Against Partizan on Friday, Apollon fell 5–1 behind before turning the match around to win 15–13.

Saturday brought an even tighter contest against Savona. Christos Laskaridis equalised at 12–12 with one second remaining in regulation, and Apollon eventually prevailed 16–15 on penalties.

A 15–14 win over Sintez Kazan on Sunday completed the campaign: four victories, 11 points and first place in qualifying Group B.

What stood out was not simply the unbeaten record but the range of situations Apollon navigated. It recovered from a significant early deficit, survived a penalty shootout and closed its campaign with another one-goal victory.

The group stage will offer a different test of whether that resilience can be sustained against stronger opposition.

Naples | The Decisive Match Went to Posillipo

Vouliagmeni arrived at its final Group D match knowing that the meeting with Posillipo would determine qualification.

The Greek side had lost 17–12 to Barcelona on Friday before responding with a 21–11 victory over Dinamo București on Saturday.

Sunday was decisive.

Posillipo won 11–8 to claim the remaining group-stage place. The Italian team built the crucial advantage during the third quarter, leaving Vouliagmeni unable to recover.

Barcelona had already secured qualification, and Posillipo joined the Spanish club in the next round.

For Vouliagmeni, elimination came in the match that mattered most, following a campaign of one victory and two defeats.

The Wider Euro Cup Picture

Primorac Kotor and Pays d'Aix Natation progressed from Group A.

Apollon Smyrnis, Savona and Partizan advanced from Group B.

Jug Adriatic Osiguranje and Šabac qualified from Group C.

Barcelona and Posillipo progressed from Group D.

BVSC and Terrassa completed the qualifiers from Group E.

The result was a group stage featuring clubs from several European leagues, while other established teams saw their campaigns end in qualifying.

Women's Champions League | Ethnikos Finished Unbeaten

Ethnikos Piraeus completed its qualifying group with three victories, although the results tell only part of the story.

A 28–6 win over Grand Nancy on Friday demonstrated the difference in attacking output between the teams.

Saturday's 7–6 victory over Catalunya was a very different examination.

The Spanish club, winner of the previous season's Euro Cup, forced Ethnikos into a match with little room for error. The narrow victory secured the Greek team's place in the last 16.

Ethnikos then defeated Glyfada 20–5 on Sunday to finish top of its group.

Across three matches, Ethnikos scored 55 goals and conceded 17.

Those figures illustrate its overall dominance in qualifying. Yet the Catalunya match provides the more revealing reference point ahead of the next stage, when narrow margins are likely to matter more.

De Zaan, Trieste and the Other Qualifiers

Dutch side De Zaan recorded a significant 14–13 victory over Hungary's Dunaújváros.

Italian club Trieste defeated UVSE 18–15 on Saturday in another notable qualifying contest. Both teams advanced to the last 16.

Rapallo also progressed from Group B, while Sabadell and Terrassa qualified from Group D.

Catalunya claimed the second qualifying place behind Ethnikos in Group C.

The eight teams advancing through qualifying joined eight clubs already admitted directly to the last 16.

Greece will be represented by Olympiacos, Vouliagmeni and Ethnikos Piraeus. Glyfada will continue its European campaign in the Women's Euro Cup.

What Comes Next?

Qualifying results are not necessarily reliable predictors of how teams will perform in the group stage.

The strength of opposition varies, schedules are compressed and playing three or four matches in a matter of days creates its own demands.

Nevertheless, several performances merit closer attention.

Apollon demonstrated an ability to recover from difficult situations. Posillipo delivered when qualification was on the line. Ethnikos combined substantial attacking production with a hard-fought victory in a low-scoring match. De Zaan and Trieste secured important results against Hungarian opposition.

These are early indications rather than final judgments.

For YARE, the next step is to examine how those performances translate into the group stage through match results, official scoresheets and player-level statistical analysis.

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