French champions Marseille are Euro Cup winners once again after surviving a dramatic final second leg against Jadran Split to claim the 2025/26 title on aggregate.
Jadran defeated Marseille 16-14 in front of a packed crowd at the iconic outdoor pool in Split on Saturday night, but Marseille’s 19-16 victory from the first leg proved decisive as they edged the aggregate score 33-32 to lift their second Euro Cup trophy.
The result marks another historic achievement for the French club, who remain perfect in Euro Cup finals. Having won their first title in 2019, Marseille have now captured the trophy in both of their appearances in the competition’s showpiece event. Current head coach Milos Scepanovic was captain and goalkeeper of that 2019-winning side.
For Jadran, it was another heartbreaking European near-miss. The Croatian club has now lost both of its Euro Cup finals, having previously fallen short in 1998 and 2016.
The second leg delivered everything expected of a European final. Jadran led for much of the contest and twice opened up two-goal advantages, but Marseille repeatedly found answers. The hosts struck first through Jerko Marinic Kragic and Zvonimir Butic to lead 2-0 before Marseille fought back to level.
The opening quarter was interrupted by a lengthy delay caused by shot clock problems, but the drama only intensified after play resumed. Thomas Vernoux, Marseille’s standout performer, gave the visitors their first lead at 5-4 before Dusan Matkovic equalised with eight seconds remaining in the period.
The lead changed hands repeatedly during a high-scoring second quarter before Butic’s late power-play goal sent Jadran into halftime ahead at 10-9.
Jadran threatened to turn the tie in their favour early in the third period when Butic converted a penalty for 11-9. However, Marseille responded through Adam Nagy and Ugo Crousillat to restore parity at 11-11.
The Croatian side entered the final quarter level at 12-12, setting up a tense finish.
Butic continued his remarkable evening by scoring again to make it 13-12, while Ivan Domagoj Zovic’s long-range strike with less than three minutes remaining gave Jadran a 16-14 lead and renewed hopes of forcing extra time.
The hosts had several opportunities to find the crucial third goal but were denied by Marseille goalkeeper Petar Tesanovic and some resolute defending. Tesanovic’s save from Matkovic with 35 seconds remaining ultimately proved decisive before Marseille successfully ran down the clock to secure the trophy.
Vernoux led Marseille with five goals, while Crousillat added three. But the night belonged individually to Jadran captain Zvonimir Butic, who produced a sensational eight-goal performance in defeat.
Marseille become the latest club to add their name to the Euro Cup honour roll and, seven years after their first triumph, the French side are once again kings of Europe’s second-tier competition.
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