Greece have written a new chapter in their water polo history.
The Greeks secured their first-ever medal at the European Men’s Championships with a commanding 12:5 victory over Italy in the bronze-medal match at the Belgrade Arena.
After the disappointment of their semifinal defeat to Hungary, Greece delivered a near-flawless performance, dominating Italy at both ends of the pool. Defensive discipline, efficient man-up conversion, and a fast start allowed them to take control early and never look back.
Fast start, full control
Greece made their intentions clear from the opening sprint. Unlike their earlier meeting with Italy in Group Phase II, the Greeks started sharply, racing into a 4:0 lead inside the first quarter. Three of those goals came on the power play, while Konstantinos Kakaris added a close-range backhander.
Italy finally broke the deadlock in the 7th minute when Ferrero converted a penalty, but by then Greece had already established momentum. Before that goal, the Settebello had hit the posts several times, while goalkeeper Dimitrios Zerdevas denied them with three early saves.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern. Greece continued to defend aggressively and efficiently, while Italy struggled to capitalise on exclusions. At the other end, the Greeks extended their lead through well-executed attacks, with Kalogeropoulos making it 7:1 in the 14th minute. Condemi scored Italy’s second goal just three seconds before halftime, but Greece still went into the break comfortably ahead at 7:2.
By halftime, the numbers told the story:
Greece were 5/6 on 6-on-5, while Italy converted just 1 of 8.
No way back for Italy
Any hopes of an Italian comeback were effectively extinguished early in the third quarter. Greece continued to punish defensive lapses, and in the 21st minute, Dimitrios Nikolaidis made it 10:3, scoring from a rebound after Del Lungo had saved an initial power-play attempt.
Ferrero replied late in the quarter to reduce the deficit to 10:4, but the contest was already decided. Greece entered the final period firmly in control, and several hundred Greek fans inside the Belgrade Arena began celebrating a historic medal.
The final eight minutes were largely academic. Greece maintained their defensive structure and added two more goals, while Italy could find only one reply. When the final whistle sounded, the scoreboard confirmed a convincing 12:5 win and a landmark achievement for Greek water polo.
Match details
2026 European Championships – Belgrade
Day 16 | Bronze-medal match
Score by quarters: 1:4, 1:3, 2:3, 1:2
Italy:
Ferrero 2, Condemi 2, Balzarini 1
Greece:
Argyropoulos 4, Gkiouvetsis 2, Kalogeropoulos 2, Kakaris 2, Nikolaidis 1, Papanastasiou 1
European Championships 2026 Homepage
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