LEN_Euroleague
LEN Champions League
European water polo club competition
The LEN Champions League is the top-tier European professional water polo club competition with teams from up to 18 countries. It is organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation.
Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 LEN Champions League | |
| Formerly | European Cup Euroleague |
|---|---|
| Sport | Water polo |
| Founded | 1963; 61 years ago (1963) |
| President | Paolo Barelli |
| No. of teams | 24 (preliminary stage) 16 (group stage) |
| Country | LEN members |
| Continent | Europe |
| Most recent champion(s) |  Pro Recco (11th title) |
| Most titles | Pro Recco (11 titles) |
| Level on pyramid | 1st Tier (Europe) |
| Official website | championsleague.len.eu |
The competition started in 1963 as European Cup. A change of name and format occurred in 1996, with the competition being renamed Champions League and the final four system being established as the format of choice, for the first time during the 1996–97 LEN Champions League. From 2003 to 2011 the competition was named LEN Euroleague (with the change of name being simply a re-branding) and from 2011 and on LEN Champions League, its current name.
LEN Champions League is the most popular water polo league in the European continent. It has been won by 24 clubs, 10 of which have won the title more than once. The most successful club in the competition is Pro Recco, with eleven titles. The current European champion is Pro Recco, who won their eleventh title after defeating Novi Beograd in the 2022–23 LEN Champions League Final in Belgrade.
Names of the competition
- 1963–1996: European Cup
- 1996–2003: Champions League
- 2003–2011: LEN Euroleague
- 2011–present: LEN Champions League
- 1963–64
Partizan - 1964–65
Pro Recco - 1965–66 Partizan
- 1966–67 Partizan
- 1967–68 Mladost
- 1968–69 Mladost
- 1969–70 Mladost
- 1970–71 Partizan
- 1971–72 Mladost
- 1972–73
OSC Budapest - 1973–74
MGU Moscow - 1974–75 Partizan
- 1975–76 Partizan
- 1976–77 CSK VMF Moscow
- 1977–78 Canottieri Napoli
- 1978–79 OSC Budapest
- 1979–80 Vasas
- 1980–81 Jug Dubrovnik
- 1981–82
Barcelona - 1982–83
Spandau 04 - 1983–84 Stefanel Recco
- 1984–85 Vasas
- 1985–86 Spandau 04
- 1986–87 Spandau 04
- 1987–88 Sisley Pescara
- 1988–89 Spandau 04
- 1989–90 Mladost
- 1990–91 Mladost
- 1991–92
Jadran Split - 1992–93 Jadran Split
- 1993–94 Újpest
- 1994–95 Catalunya
- 1995–96 Mladost
- 1996–97 Posillipo
- 1997–98 Posillipo
- 1998–99 POŠK
- 1999–00
Bečej - 2000–01 Jug Dubrovnik
- 2001–02
Olympiacos - 2002–03 Pro Recco
- 2003–04 Honvéd
- 2004–05 Posillipo
- 2005–06 Jug Dubrovnik
- 2006–07 Pro Recco
- 2007–08 Pro Recco
- 2008–09
Primorac Kotor - 2009–10 Pro Recco
- 2010–11 Partizan
- 2011–12 Pro Recco
- 2012–13 Crvena zvezda
- 2013–14 Atlètic-Barceloneta
- 2014–15 Pro Recco
- 2015–16 Jug Dubrovnik
- 2016–17 Szolnok
- 2017–18 Olympiacos
- 2018–19 Ferencváros
- 2019–20 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2020–21 Pro Recco
- 2021–22 Pro Recco
- 2022–23 Pro Recco
| Rank | Country | Titles | Runners-up | CL winning clubs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Italy |
16 | 10 | 4 |
| 2. |   Yugoslavia [A] |
14 | 6 | 4 |
| 3. |  Hungary |
8 | 10 | 6 |
| 4. |  Croatia [A] |
7 | 9 | 3 |
| 5. |  Germany [B] |
4 | 4 | 1 |
| 6. |  Spain |
3 | 3 | 3 |
| 7. |  Soviet Union [C] |
2 | 6 | 2 |
| 8. |  Greece |
2 | 3 | 1 |
| 9. |  Serbia [A] |
2 | 3 | 2 |
| 10. |  Montenegro [A] |
1 | 1 | 1 |
| 11. |  Netherlands |
2 | ||
| 12. |  East Germany |
1 | ||
 Romania |
1 |
*A Results until the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 and the self-determination of all countries unless the union of Serbia and Montenegro, named until 2003 as FR YUgoslavia, and broke up in 2006. Clubs from present day Serbia won the title 7 times and were runners-up additional 4 times, clubs from present day Croatia won the title 7 and were runners-up one time, clubs from present day Montenegro were runners-up one time.
*AB and AB . Note, Croatian record counting since 1991, while Serbian and Montenegrin counting since 2006, only.
*B The results of West Germany counted with those of Germany.
*C Results until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Clubs from present day Russia won the title 2 times and were runners-up additional 5 times, clubs from present day Kazakhstan were runners-up once time.
- Pro Recco has been the most successful club, having won the competition a record 11 times.
- Mladost (1968, 1969, 1970) and Pro Recco (2021, 2022, 2023) are the only two clubs to have won the competition three times in a row.
- Partizan and Pro Recco are the only two clubs to have won the European Championship twice in a row for two times (1966, 1967 & 1975, 1976) and (2007, 2008 & 2021, 2022)
- Spandau 04 (1986, 1987), Mladost (1990, 1991), Jadran Split (1992, 1993) and Posillipo (1997, 1998) are the other five teams to have won the European Championship twice in a row, only for one time.
- Most finals in a row: 7 Pro Recco (2006-2012), 5 Mladost (1968-1972) & Spandau 04 (1986-1990).
Most Titles
Players
bold - active players
| Player | Titles | Clubs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| # | List | ||
 / Pietro Figlioli | 7 | 1 | Pro Recco 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Đorđe Perišić | 6 | 1 | Partizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1976 |
| Maurizio Felugo | 6 | 2 | Posillipo 2005, Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015 |
| Aaron Younger | 5 | 3 | Szolnok 2017, Ferencvaros 2019, Pro Recco 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Ozren Bonačić | 5 | 2 | Partizan 1964, Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 |
| Mirko Sandić | 5 | 1 | Partizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1975 |
| Tamas Kasas | 5 | 2 | Posillipo 1998, Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 |
| Tibor Benedek | 5 | 2 | Ujpest 1994, Pro Recco 2003, 2008, 2010, 2012 |
| Stefano Tempesti | 5 | 1 | Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015 |
| Andrija Prlainović | 5 | 4 | Partizan 2011, Pro Recco 2012, 2015, Crvena Zvezda 2013, Szolnok 2017 |
| Aleksandar Ivović | 5 | 1 | Pro Recco 2012, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Norbert Madaras | 5 | 2 | Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, Ferencváros 2019 |
| Božidar Novaković | 5 | 1 | Partizan 1966, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1976 |
| Duško Pijetlović | 4 | 3 | Partizan 2011, Pro Recco 2012, 2015, Crvena Zvezda 2013 |
| Karlo Stipanić | 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 |
| Zlatko Šimenc | 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 |
| Miroslav Poljak | 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 |
| Marijan Žužej | 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 |
| Milan Jeger | 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 |
| Zdravko Hebel | 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 |
| Francesco Di Fulvio | 4 | 1 | Pro Recco 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Matteo Aicardi | 4 | 1 | Pro Recco 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
 / Gonzalo Echenique | 4 | 2 | Barceloneta 2014, Pro Recco 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Hagen Stamm | 4 | 1 | Spandau04 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989 |
 / Armando Fernández | 4 | 1 | Spandau04 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989 |
| Peter Röhle | 4 | 1 | Spandau04 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989 |
| Zoran Janković | 4 | 1 | Partizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971 |
| Feliče Tedeski | 4 | 1 | Partizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971 |
| Branimir Glidžić | 4 | 1 | Partizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971 |
* Titles with 3 clubs: Felipe Perrone
Coaches
| Coach | Titles | Clubs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| # | List | ||
| Vlaho Orlić | 6 | 1 | Patizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1976 |
| Giuseppe Porzio | 5 | 2 | Posillipo 2005, Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 |
| Aleksandar Coša Seifert | 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 |
| / Alfred Balen | 3 | 1 | Spandau04 1982, 1985, 1986 |
As Player and Coach combined
| Player/Coach | Titles | as Player | as Coach | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | List | # | List | ||
| Giuseppe Porzio | 7 | 2 | Posillipo 1997, 1998 | 5 | Posillipo 2005, Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 |
| Ozren Bonačić | 6 | 5 | Partizan 1964, Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 | 1 | Mladost 1996 |
| Igor Milanović | 5 | 3 | Mladost 1990, 1991, Catalunya 1995 | 2 | Partizan 2011, Pro Recco 2015 |
| Duško Antunović | 5 | 3 | Partizan 1971, 1975, 1976 | 2 | Mladost 1990, 1991 |
| Ivo Trumbić | 4 | 3 | Mladost 1967, 1968, 1969 | 1 | Pescara 1988 |
| Paolo De Crescenzo | 3 | 1 | Canottieri Naples 1978 | 2 | Posilllipo 1997, 1998 |
| Sandro Sukno | 3 | 1 | Pro Recco 2012 | 2 | Pro Recco 2022, 2023 |
* Two players were players and coaches at the same time in the winning teams. Boris Čukvas won three titles in a dual role. He was a player and Partizan's coach during the seasons in which the Belgrade-based club won its first three titles (1963/64, 1965/66 and 1966/67). Eraldo Pizzo was a player and Pro Recco's coach in the season 1964/65.
Titles (2) as a player and a coach: Veselin Đuho, Marco Baldineti, Vjekoslav Kobeščak.
Most valuable player Final Tournament
- 2010 – Vanja Udovičić
- 2011 – Tamás Kásás
- 2012 – Denes Varga
- 2013 – Andrija Prlainovic
- 2014 – Albert Español
- 2015 – Felipe Perrone
- 2016 – Felipe Perrone
- 2017 – Andrija Prlainovic
- 2018 – Josip Pavic
- 2019 – Denes Varga
- 2020 Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021 – Dušan Mandić
- 2022 – Giacomo Cannella
- 2023 – Alvaro Granados
Top Scorer by Season
- 2012–13 – Felipe Perrone 31 goals
- 2013–14 – Filip Filipović 51 goals
- 2014–15 – Sandro Sukno 34 goals
- 2015–16 – Denes Varga 33 goals
- 2016–17 – Felipe Perrone 42 goals
- 2017–18 – Darko Brguljan 42 goals
- 2018–19 – Kostas Genidounias 42 goals
- 2019–20 Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2020–21 – Angelos Vlachopoulos 41 goals
- 2021–22 – Gergő Zalánki 42 goals
- 2022–23 – Alvaro Granados 43 goals
