Pro Recco’s road back to the top of Europe once again runs through Malta.
The Italian giants face Olympiacos in Thursday night’s Champions League semi-final, with Sandro Sukno’s side chasing what would be a record-extending 12th European crown.
It is a familiar setting, but a slightly different feeling for Recco. After missing last season’s Champions League and dropping into the Euro Cup, which they went on to win, the Biancocelesti are back among Europe’s final four and once again within touching distance of the biggest prize in club water polo.
Their semi-final opponent will be Olympiacos, the Greek champions and one of the most complete teams in the competition. Recco beat Olympiacos on penalties in the 2024 semi-final, but captain Francesco Di Fulvio believes the challenge this time will be every bit as demanding.
“We’re certainly not discovering Olympiacos today,” Di Fulvio told the Pro Recco club website. “They’re a highly skilled team, led by an excellent coach and capable of playing top-level water polo.
“They won their championship in three games, dominating, and this shows they’re also going through a great period physically. They can count on two excellent centre-forwards, top-notch goalkeepers who can rotate, and a top-notch left-hander. In short, they’re a complete team in every department.”
Recco arrive in Malta after finishing first in their Champions League group, ahead of defending champions FTC Telekom. On the other side of the Final Four draw, FTC face Zodiac Atletic Barceloneta, meaning the last two European champions and two of the continent’s most powerful projects remain in the hunt.
For Di Fulvio, though, this Final Four carries a different emotion. Recco are no strangers to this stage, but the squad has changed, the team has been refreshed, and several players will be experiencing a Champions League Final Four for the first time.
“Perhaps this Final Four has a different feel because we’re coming off a transition year, during which we missed the main club competition,” Di Fulvio said. “For many, it will be a new experience: we’ve rejuvenated the squad with several additions, and for some of them, it will be their first time in such a context. Returning to Malta, however, is certainly very nice.”
For Di Fulvio personally, there is another layer. This is his first Champions League Final Four as Pro Recco captain, and it could also be one of his final major European appearances for the club. The Italian star has been linked with a move to Atletic Barceloneta at the end of the season, after more than a decade with Recco.
If this is to be one of his final European missions in Biancocelesti colours, Di Fulvio is not showing signs of being weighed down by the occasion.
“Personally, I don’t feel the pressure,” he said. “I take it one training session at a time, one day at a time. We’re training very seriously, and in recent weeks we’ve played at an excellent level, raising the bar even further with some very positive performances.”
But he also knows that good form alone will not be enough. To lift the Champions League trophy, Recco will need to find another level.
“We know that to go all the way and lift that trophy, we’ll still need something more,” Di Fulvio said. “I’m happy because everyone has understood what it means to play for Pro Recco, what it means to train here, dealing with the expectations, the external pressure, and the media.”
That, according to the captain, is where the Final Four will be decided. Not only in tactics, quality or experience, but in mentality.
“I think the group is approaching all this in the right way, with great seriousness,” he added. “The mental aspect will be crucial. The matches have become very long and can last up to an hour and a half. As the coach always reminds us, nothing is decided until the last two or three minutes, especially in a semi-final and, potentially, a final.
“Therefore, it will require great mental strength and the ability to stay united, without allowing ourselves to be influenced by external factors.”
For Recco, the mission is clear. After a season away from the Champions League spotlight, they are back at the tournament’s decisive stage. Olympiacos stand first in their way, but the wider prize is obvious: a 12th European title, another chapter in the club’s extraordinary history, and perhaps a fitting Malta finale for one of their modern greats.
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