For the first time in three years, the Champions League final will not feature FTC-Telekom.
The Hungarian champions arrived in Malta chasing a historic third consecutive European crown, but their reign was ended in the cruellest possible fashion: a penalty shootout defeat to Zodiac CNAB after a tense 9-9 draw in regular time.
For a team that has built its recent era on control, composure and winning finals, this was a painful reversal. FTC did not play their best match, started slowly, spent much of the night chasing the game, yet still had the opportunity to win it in the final minutes.
That is what will sting most.
Barceloneta led 6-3 at half-time, with FTC struggling to find rhythm in attack and, most notably, failing to convert any of their first five extra-player opportunities. Against a side as disciplined as Barceloneta, that kind of inefficiency is rarely survivable. Yet Ferencvaros still found a way back.
Mandic and Vince Vigvari scored in quick succession during the third quarter to reduce the gap to one, before Krisztian Manhercz finally broke through on the powerplay to make it 6-6. Suddenly, the defending champions looked alive again.
By the fourth quarter, the match had turned. Manhercz levelled at 7-7, Stylianos Argyropoulos put FTC in front for the first time, and Gergo Fekete later made it 9-8. At that stage, the momentum appeared to belong to the Hungarians.
Then came the key moment.
FTC earned a man-up with the chance to move two goals ahead and, in all likelihood, close the door on Barceloneta. Instead, Unai Aguirre saved Fekete’s shot. Moments later, Alessandro Velotto equalised at the other end, forcing penalties.
In the shootout, Barceloneta were perfect. FTC were not.
After the game, Jansik Szilard admitted the Spanish side had handled the decisive moments better, saying they were “stronger mentally”. It was a simple assessment, but one that captured the difference in a semi-final decided by the smallest details.
Manhercz was similarly honest. He said FTC had not played to their own level, pointing to the energy they were forced to spend recovering from their first-half deficit. Against elite opposition, that kind of comeback carries a cost.
Head coach Balazs Nyeki, however, was not prepared to criticise his players’ character. His message was clear: “My players are fighters.” FTC had fallen, but they had not folded.
That distinction matters. This was not a collapse. It was a match in which Ferencvaros were second best for long stretches, fought their way back, took the lead, and then lost the decisive moments. Their bid for a third straight Champions League title is over, but their competitive identity remains intact.
There is still one match left in Malta. FTC will face Olympiacos in the bronze-medal game, a contest that will test how quickly they can process the disappointment of missing the final.
For a club with FTC’s standards, bronze will not feel like the prize they came for. But after the end of an era-defining European run, their response will still say plenty.
Quotes and post-match reaction sourced from M4 Sport’s coverage of FTC-Telekom’s Champions League semi-final defeat in Malta.
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