Waspo 98 Hannover have been crowned German champions for the third consecutive season after defeating rivals Spandau 04 3-1 in the best-of-five playoff final, securing the club’s seventh national title.
Aleksandar Radović’s side completed another dominant domestic campaign, adding the German Championship to their German Cup triumph and capping off a season that also saw them reach the Top 8 stage of the Champions League.
Hannover entered the playoffs as the top seed after an unbeaten regular season, winning all 14 of their league matches. While ASC Duisburg finished second in the standings, Spandau 04 upset Duisburg in the semifinals to set up another blockbuster title showdown between Germany’s two most successful clubs of the modern era.
Spandau struck first in the final series, claiming a 14-11 victory in Berlin to take an early advantage. However, Waspo responded emphatically on home soil, winning the next two matches 12-7 and 10-7 to move within one victory of the championship.
The decisive fourth match returned to Berlin, where Hannover seized control from the opening whistle. Despite Spandau’s determination to stay in contention, Waspo gradually pulled away and effectively settled the contest during the third quarter. With just under two minutes remaining in the period, Hannover opened up a commanding 10-5 lead.
Although the hosts continued to battle until the final buzzer, they were unable to significantly reduce the deficit as Waspo closed out a convincing 14-10 victory to seal the series and celebrate another championship triumph.
The title continues Hannover’s recent dominance of German water polo and secures the club’s place in next season’s Champions League.
2026 German League Final (best-of-five)
Spandau 04 – Waspo 98 Hannover 14-11
(4-3, 3-1, 4-5, 3-2)
Waspo 98 Hannover – Spandau 04 12-7
(3-1, 2-3, 4-1, 3-2)
Waspo 98 Hannover – Spandau 04 10-7
(6-3, 1-2, 0-1, 3-1)
Spandau 04 – Waspo 98 Hannover 10-14
(2-4, 3-3, 1-4, 4-3)
German clubs qualified for European competition
Champions League
- Waspo 98 Hannover
Champions League Qualification
- Spandau 04
Euro Cup Group Stage
- ASC Duisburg
Euro Cup Qualification
- White Sharks Hannover
Conference Cup
- OSC Potsdam
- Cannstatt
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