Christina Siouti had just scored the penalty that made Olympiacos champions of Europe. The only problem was that she did not yet realise it.
With Ferencvaros having already missed all three of their attempts in the shootout, Siouti stepped forward knowing that another successful conversion would end a dramatic Champions League final in Malta.
Her shot found the net, completing a 17-14 victory for Olympiacos after the two sides had finished level at 14-14 in regular time.
For a brief moment, however, Siouti remained unaware of the significance of what she had done.
“I honestly didn’t realise that, if I scored the penalty, we would win,” she admitted following the final.
It was only when she saw the Olympiacos supporters celebrating and her teammates jumping into the pool that she understood: the trophy was theirs.
The moment provided a memorable conclusion to one of the most dramatic Champions League finals in recent history.
Olympiacos had started the match powerfully, with Abby Andrews and Siouti scoring from the perimeter to establish an early advantage. The Greek champions moved 4-1 ahead during the opening period and still held a 7-5 lead at half-time, helped by an outstanding performance from Ioanna Stamatopoulou in goal.
Siouti scored twice during regular time, including an excellent lob early in the second quarter, but the match changed dramatically after the interval.
Ferencvaros captain Greta Gurisatti inspired a furious Hungarian response as FTC scored four unanswered goals to turn an 8-5 deficit into a 9-8 lead. Gurisatti finished the final with seven goals, including one in the final second of the third period to put FTC 11-10 ahead.
The Hungarian champions then appeared to have taken control when Bea Ortiz made it 14-12 with 3:20 remaining.
Olympiacos were suddenly less than four minutes from defeat.
Andrews reduced the deficit with 1:20 left before Stefania Santa converted a late extra-player opportunity with only 13 seconds remaining, forcing the final into a penalty shootout.
That was when reserve goalkeeper Britt van den Dobbelsteen became the decisive figure.
Introduced specifically for the shootout, the Dutch goalkeeper saved all three Ferencvaros penalties she faced, denying Ortiz, Dorottya Kovacs-Szilagyi and Eleftheria Plevritou.
Olympiacos converted through Maria Myriokefalitaki and Vasiliki Plevritou, while Foteini Tricha had her attempt saved. That left Siouti with the opportunity to finish the contest.
She converted without fully understanding that the title had been secured.
The celebrations that followed brought an emotional release for a team that had suffered disappointment in the competition during recent seasons. Olympiacos had been eliminated by Sant Andreu in the 2025 semi-finals and had not lifted the Champions League trophy since winning consecutive titles in 2021 and 2022.
Siouti said the setbacks of previous campaigns had made the return to the European summit particularly meaningful. She also praised the team for refusing to surrender after falling two goals behind late in the fourth quarter.
Around 500 Olympiacos supporters had travelled to Malta, transforming the venue into a sea of red and white. Their celebrations were ultimately what alerted Siouti to the importance of the penalty she had just scored.
The victory delivered a fourth Champions League title for Olympiacos and an eighth European trophy overall, adding to one of the most successful records in women’s club water polo.
For Siouti, though, the defining image may remain those first few seconds after the ball entered the net: the scorer standing momentarily unaware as the supporters erupted and her teammates raced towards the water.
Only then did she realise she had just made Olympiacos champions of Europe.
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