Defending champions De Akker Bologna narrowly avoided an early exit from the European Aquatics Conference Cup, securing the final qualification place as the competition’s opening round concluded on Sunday, October 25.
The Italian side defeated Turkish representatives Heybeliada 25-12 in Mataro, finishing third in Group E with four points.
Having previously lost 12-9 on penalties against Mataro following an 8-8 draw, and suffered a 12-10 defeat against Sant Andreu, De Akker needed victory in their final match to keep their title defence alive.
Their four points proved sufficient to advance ahead of Dutch side ZVL-1886, who finished third in Group C with three points despite defeating City of Manchester 18-12.
Vasas Win Hungarian Derby
Elsewhere, Vasas secured first place in Group D with a 15-12 victory over hosts Szeged.
Both Hungarian clubs had already qualified, alongside Georgian representatives Iberia Tbilisi, but Sunday’s encounter determined the group winners.
In Group C, Italian side Trieste completed their unbeaten campaign with an emphatic 26-10 victory over Olymp Tbilisi, while Croatian representatives Solaris finished with four victories from four matches in Group A.
Panionios also maintained their perfect record, defeating Spartak Volgograd 12-11 to finish top of Group B.
Spanish side Mataro completed the group winners with a 13-9 victory over Sant Andreu.
Fourteen clubs advance from the opening qualification round, joining ten teams eliminated from Euro Cup qualification.
The next stage takes place from December 11-13, with the competition eventually concluding at the Final Eight in April 2027.
Conference Cup – Final Day Results
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Group A
Montpellier 7-19 Ydraikos
De Zaan 22-8 Adalar
Group B
Vitoria 16-13 Cannstatt
Spartak Volgograd 11-12 Panionios
Group C
Trieste 26-10 Olymp Tbilisi
ZVL-1886 18-12 City of Manchester
Group D
Banja Luka 9-27 OSC Potsdam
Szeged 12-15 Vasas
Group E
Mataro 13-9 Sant Andreu
De Akker 25-12 Heybeliada
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