2025–26 European Aquatics Conference Cup

For the equivalent women's tournament, see 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Conference Cup.
European Aquatics Conference Cup
2025–26
Tournament information
SportWater polo
DateQualification Round I:
7–9 November 2025
Qualification Round II:
20–22 February 2026
Quarterfinals:
20–22 March 2026
Final Four:
2–3 May 2026
Tournament
format(s)
Round Robin and Knockout stage
TeamsQualification round I: 19 [a]
Qualification round II: 10+9 [b]
Quarterfinals: 8
Final Four: 4
Total: 19+9 (from 14 or 15 countries)
Website[ Official website]

The 2025–26 European Aquatics Conference Cup is the 1st edition of European Aquatics's new tertiary club competition (replacing the Challenger Cup) for men's water polo clubs. The season begins on 7 November 2025 and ended on 3 June 2026 with the Final Four.

The winners of the European Aquatics Conference Cup automatically qualify for next season's Euro Cup, (if they choose to enter).

Rankings

The results were based on the results of the past four seasons.[1]

  • Associations 1–10 can have two teams ranked 5th and 6th qualify.
  • Associations 11–12 can have two teams ranked 3rd, 4th and 5th qualify.
  • Associations 13 and below can have one team ranked 1st qualify.

Apart from the distribution based on the rankings, countries could have additional teams participating in the Conference Cup, as noted below:

  • (EC) – Additional teams dropping down from the Euro Cup

Ranking facts

Teams

The teams finishing in fifth and sixth from national leagues ranked 1–10, placing in third through fifth from national leagues ranked 11–12 and champions from countries ranked 13 and below are permitted to enter.

Everyone who enters starts in the qualification round I.

Unlike last season, in the event that a club decides not to enter, the next best ranked team is not allowed to take their place.[4] However, this rule wasn't implemented all the time.

Qualified teams

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:

  • 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc: League positions of the previous season
  • EC: Transferred from the Euro Cup
    • QR: Transferred from the Euro Cup qualification round
Entry round Teams
Qualification round II N/A Team (EC QR) N/A Team (EC QR) N/A Team (EC QR) N/A Team (EC QR)
N/A Team (EC QR) N/A Team (EC QR) N/A Team (EC QR) N/A Team (EC QR)
N/A Team (EC QR)
Qualification round I Italy CN Posillipo (5th) Italy De Akker Team (6th) Hungary Endo Plus SH (5th) Serbia VK Partizan (5th)
Spain CN Mataró (5th) Spain Tenerife Echeyde (6th) Greece Panionios GSS (5th) Greece AC PAOK (6th)
Croatia VK Primorje EB (5th) Croatia VK Mornar Split (6th) France Sète Natation (4th) Germany White Sharks (5th)
Germany SG Neukölln Berlin (6th) Montenegro PVK Budva BR (5th) Netherlands UZSC (3rd) Turkey Galatasaray SK (1st)
Portugal Vitória SC (1st) Lithuania EVK Zaibas (1st) Bosnia and Herzegovina VK Banja Luka (1st)

Name changes

The following teams' names were changed during the season.

Rounds and draw dates

Schedule

Phase Draw date Round date[5]
Qualification round I 11 August 2025 7–9 November 2025
Qualification round II TBD 20–22 February 2026
Quarterfinals 20–22 March 2026
Final Four 2–3 May 2026

Qualification round I

Main article: 2025–26 European Aquatics Conference Cup qualification round I

The top two qualify for the next round, while every team that comes from a country that is ranked below the top thirteen drop down to the Challenger Cup. The draw was on 11 August 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia.[6][7] The seeding is based off the club rankings.[8]

Group A

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ENDO UZSC PAOK POS
1 Hungary Endo Plus SH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification round II — — — –
2 Netherlands UZSC (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Greece AC PAOK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — — —
4 Italy CN Posillipo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — – — —
Source: [ European Aquatics Conference Cup]
(H) Host

Group B

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification PAN TEN BUD WHI
1 Greece Panionios GSS (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification round II — — — –
2 Spain Tenerife Echeyde 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Montenegro PVK Budva BR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — — —
4 Germany White Sharks 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — – — —
Source: [ European Aquatics Conference Cup]
(H) Host

Group C

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification VIT BAN SET MOR
1 Portugal Vitória SC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification round II — — — –
2 Bosnia and Herzegovina VK Banja Luka 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 France Sète Natation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — — —
4 Croatia VK Mornar Split (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — – — —
Source: [ European Aquatics Conference Cup]
(H) Host

Group D

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ZAI PAR AKK BER
1 Lithuania EVK Zaibas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification round II — — — –
2 Serbia VK Partizan (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Italy De Akker Team 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — — —
4 Germany SG Neukölln Berlin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — – — —
Source: [ European Aquatics Conference Cup]
(H) Host

Group E

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification PRI GAL MAT
1 Croatia VK Primorje EB (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification round II — — –
2 Turkey Galatasaray SK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — —
3 Spain CN Mataró 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — —
Source: [ European Aquatics Conference Cup]
(H) Host

Notes

  1. ^ From 14 countries
  2. ^ From TBD countries

See also

References

  1. ^ "Water Polo Rankings - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
  2. ^ "Men Clubs Country Ranking - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
  3. ^ "Rankings PDF" (PDF).
  4. ^ https://europeanaquatics.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/UPDATE-WATER-POLO-CLUB-COMPETITIONS-REGULATIONS-25-26.pdf
  5. ^ "European Aquatics Calendar - European Aquatics®". September 28, 2023.
  6. ^ "2025/26 Conference Cup and Challenger Cup water polo qualification groups determined - European Aquatics®". August 11, 2025.
  7. ^ Curcic, Ivan (August 11, 2025). "Conference Cup draw: Two former European champions in same qualification group".
  8. ^ "Men Club Ranking - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.