The LEN Champions League is the top-tier European professional water polo club competition with teams from up to 18 countries. It is organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation.
Current season, competition or edition: 2024–25 LEN Champions League | |
| Formerly | European Cup Euroleague |
|---|---|
| Sport | Water polo |
| Founded | 1963 |
| President | Paolo Barelli |
| No. of teams | 24 (preliminary stage) 16 (group stage) |
| Country | LEN members |
| Continent | Europe |
| Most recent champion(s) |  Ferencváros (2nd title) |
| Most titles |  Pro Recco (11 titles) |
| Level on pyramid | 1st Tier (Europe) |
| Official website | championsleague.len.eu |
The competition started in 1963 as European Cup. A change of name and format occurred in 1996, with the competition being renamed Champions League and the final four system being established as the format of choice, for the first time during the 1996–97 LEN Champions League. From 2003 to 2011 the competition was named LEN Euroleague (with the change of name being simply a re-branding) and from 2011 and on LEN Champions League, its current name.
LEN Champions League is the most popular water polo league in the European continent. It has been won by 24 clubs, 10 of which have won the title more than once. The most successful club in the competition is Pro Recco, with eleven titles. The current European champion is Ferencváros, who won their second title after defeating Pro Recco in the 2023–24 LEN Champions League Final in Valletta.
History
editNames of the competition
edit- 1963–1996: European Cup
- 1996–2003: Champions League
- 2003–2011: LEN Euroleague
- 2011–present: LEN Champions League
Title holders
edit- 1963–64
Partizan
- 1964–65
Pro Recco
- 1965–66
- 1966–67
- 1967–68
- 1968–69
- 1969–70
- 1970–71
- 1971–72
- 1972–73
OSC Budapest
- 1973–74
MGU Moscow
- 1974–75
- 1975–76
- 1976–77
- 1977–78
- 1978–79
- 1979–80
- 1980–81
- 1981–82
Barcelona
- 1982–83
Spandau 04
- 1983–84
- 1984–85
- 1985–86
- 1986–87
- 1987–88
- 1988–89
- 1989–90
- 1990–91
- 1991–92
Jadran Split
- 1992–93
- 1993–94
- 1994–95
- 1995–96
- 1996–97
- 1997–98
- 1998–99
- 1999–00
Bečej
- 2000–01
- 2001–02
Olympiacos
- 2002–03
- 2003–04
- 2004–05
- 2005–06
- 2006–07
- 2007–08
- 2008–09
Primorac Kotor
- 2009–10
- 2010–11
- 2011–12
- 2012–13
- 2013–14
- 2014–15
- 2015–16
- 2016–17
- 2017–18
- 2018–19
- 2019–20 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2020–21
- 2021–22
- 2022–23
- 2023–24
Finals
editTitles by club
editTitles by nation
edit| Rank | Country | Titles | Runners-up | CL winning clubs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 16 | 11 | 4 | |
| 2. | 14 | 6 | 4 | |
| 3. | 9 | 10 | 6 | |
| 4. | 7 | 9 | 3 | |
| 5. | 4 | 4 | 1 | |
| 6. | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| 7. | 2 | 6 | 2 | |
| 8. | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
| 9. | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| 10. | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 11. | 2 | |||
| 12. | 1 | |||
| 1 |
*A Results until the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 and the self-determination of all countries unless the union of Serbia and Montenegro, named until 2003 as FR YUgoslavia, and broke up in 2006. Clubs from present day Serbia won the title 7 times and were runners-up additional 4 times, clubs from present day Croatia won the title 7 and were runners-up one time, clubs from present day Montenegro were runners-up one time.
*AB and AB . Note, Croatian record counting since 1991, while Serbian and Montenegrin counting since 2006, only.
*B The results of West Germany counted with those of Germany.
*C Results until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Clubs from present day Russia won the title 2 times and were runners-up additional 5 times, clubs from present day Kazakhstan were runners-up once time.
Records
edit- Pro Recco has been the most successful club, having won the competition a record 11 times.
- Mladost (1968, 1969, 1970) and Pro Recco (2021, 2022, 2023) are the only two clubs to have won the competition three times in a row.
- Partizan and Pro Recco are the only two clubs to have won the European Championship twice in a row for two times (1966, 1967 & 1975, 1976) and (2007, 2008 & 2021, 2022)
- Spandau 04 (1986, 1987), Mladost (1990, 1991), Jadran Split (1992, 1993) and Posillipo (1997, 1998) are the other five teams to have won the European Championship twice in a row, only for one time.
- Most finals in a row: 7 Pro Recco (2006-2012), 5 Mladost (1968-1972) & Spandau 04 (1986-1990).
Most Titles
editPlayers
editbold - active players
| Player | Titles | Clubs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| # | List | ||
| 7 | 1 | Pro Recco 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 | |
| 6 | 1 | Partizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1976 | |
| 6 | 2 | Posillipo 2005, Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015 | |
| 5 | 3 | Szolnok 2017, Ferencvaros 2019, Pro Recco 2021, 2022, 2023 | |
| 5 | 2 | Partizan 1964, Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 | |
| 5 | 1 | Partizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1975 | |
| 5 | 2 | Posillipo 1998, Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 | |
| 5 | 2 | Ujpest 1994, Pro Recco 2003, 2008, 2010, 2012 | |
| 5 | 1 | Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015 | |
| 5 | 4 | Partizan 2011, Pro Recco 2012, 2015, Crvena Zvezda 2013, Szolnok 2017 | |
| 5 | 1 | Pro Recco 2012, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 | |
| 5 | 2 | Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, Ferencváros 2019 | |
| 5 | 1 | Partizan 1966, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1976 | |
| 4 | 3 | Partizan 2011, Pro Recco 2012, 2015, Crvena Zvezda 2013 | |
| 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 | |
| 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 | |
| 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 | |
| 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 | |
| 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 | |
| 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 | |
| 4 | 1 | Pro Recco 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 | |
| 4 | 1 | Pro Recco 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 | |
| 4 | 2 | Barceloneta 2014, Pro Recco 2021, 2022, 2023 | |
| 4 | 1 | Spandau04 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989 | |
| 4 | 1 | Spandau04 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989 | |
| 4 | 1 | Spandau04 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989 | |
| 4 | 1 | Partizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971 | |
| 4 | 1 | Partizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971 | |
| 4 | 1 | Partizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971 | |
* Titles with 3 clubs: Felipe Perrone,
Dusan Mandic
Coaches
edit| Coach | Titles | Clubs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| # | List | ||
| 6 | 1 | Patizan 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1976 | |
| 5 | 2 | Posillipo 2005, Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 | |
| 4 | 1 | Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 | |
| 3 | 1 | Spandau04 1982, 1985, 1986 | |
As Player and Coach combined
edit| Player/Coach | Titles | as Player | as Coach | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | List | # | List | ||
| 7 | 2 | Posillipo 1997, 1998 | 5 | Posillipo 2005, Pro Recco 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 | |
| 6 | 5 | Partizan 1964, Mladost 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 | 1 | Mladost 1996 | |
| 5 | 3 | Mladost 1990, 1991, Catalunya 1995 | 2 | Partizan 2011, Pro Recco 2015 | |
| 5 | 3 | Partizan 1971, 1975, 1976 | 2 | Mladost 1990, 1991 | |
| 4 | 3 | Mladost 1967, 1968, 1969 | 1 | Pescara 1988 | |
| 3 | 1 | Canottieri Naples 1978 | 2 | Posilllipo 1997, 1998 | |
| 3 | 1 | Pro Recco 2012 | 2 | Pro Recco 2022, 2023 | |
* Two players were players and coaches at the same time in the winning teams. Boris Čukvas won three titles in a dual role. He was a player and Partizan's coach during the seasons in which the Belgrade-based club won its first three titles (1963/64, 1965/66 and 1966/67). Eraldo Pizzo was a player and Pro Recco's coach in the season 1964/65.
Titles (2) as a player and a coach: Veselin Đuho, Marco Baldineti, Vjekoslav Kobeščak.
Awards
editMost valuable player Final Tournament
edit- 2010 –
- 2011 –
- 2012 –
- 2013 –
- 2014 –
- 2015 –
- 2016 –
- 2017 –
- 2018 –
- 2019 –
- 2020 Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021 –
- 2022 –
- 2023 –
- 2024 –
Top Scorer by Season
edit- 2012–13 –
- 2013–14 –
- 2014–15 –
- 2015–16 –
- 2016–17 –
- 2017–18 –
- 2018–19 –
- 2019–20 Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2020–21 –
- 2021–22 –
- 2022–23 –
- 2023–24 –