CN Marseille and VK Jadran Split will begin their battle for the men’s Euro Cup title on Saturday, with the first leg taking place in the south of France before the return match in Split on 6 June.
It is a final rich in history, ambition and unfinished business. Marseille are chasing their second Euro Cup crown, having won the competition in 2019 against Jadran Herceg Novi — still the only European Aquatics club trophy ever won by a French side.
Jadran Split, meanwhile, are aiming to bring major European silverware back to the city for the first time in nearly three decades. The Croatian champions were European champions in 1992 and 1993, but their only previous Euro Cup final ended in defeat to Partizan in 1998.
“This is certainly one of the most important moments in the history of Split sport,” said Jadran head coach Jure Marelja. “No team from Split has played in a European final for nearly 30 years.
“Of course, we are not satisfied with simply reaching the final. Personally, I would see it as a failure if we do not win the trophy.”
Both teams dropped into the Euro Cup after difficult Champions League campaigns, but both have grown stronger as the season has progressed. Marseille eliminated Savona and Sabadell before producing one of the comebacks of the season against Radnicki, overturning a three-goal first-leg deficit with a 16-11 home victory.
Jadran’s route has been no less impressive. After easing past Szolnok, the Split side edged Panathinaikos in the quarter-finals before beating BVSC 27-24 on aggregate in a fiercely contested semi-final, with Jerko Marinic Kragic scoring seven goals in the second leg in Budapest.
History favours Marseille. The French champions have beaten Jadran in each of their last six meetings, including a heavy 18-6 win in Split last season. However, Jadran will take confidence from having the second leg at home.
Marseille coach Milos Scepanovic insisted there is no clear favourite.
“This is a final, so it’s a game in which there is never a real favourite,” he said. “We just need to go attack after attack, defence after defence.”
Both squads are packed with international quality. Marseille can call on Thomas Vernoux, Ugo Crousillat, Michael Bodegas, Radomir Drasovic, Adam Nagy and Marc Larumbe, while Jadran’s backbone includes Marko Bijac, Loren Fatovic, Marinic Kragic, Zvonimir Butic and Toni Nemet.
The tie begins in Marseille on Saturday at 18:00 CET.
Euro Cup Men Final, First Leg
CN Marseille v VK Jadran Split
Saturday 23 May, 18:00 CET
Stream elite water polo on Overnght
Visit the WP360 Shop!
Follow Waterpolo 360 on Facebook, Instagram and X