Šabac got rivals in the group stage of the European Cup: At the start against Honved
Sabac water polo players will play in the group stage of the European Cup against Greek Panathinaikos, Spanish Barcelona and Hungarian Honved.The draw for the main stage of the competition was held today, which Šabac reached with a maximum of four victories in the qualifying tournament held last weekend at its pool (Serbian representatives were followed by Strasbourg, Dinamo Bucharest, OSC Budapest and OSC Potsdam).
All four teams have more or less equal chances to reach the first two places and advance to the round of 16. Panathinaikos has two Serbian players in its ranks. Olympic champion Viktor Rašović joined goalkeeper Dimitrije Risticevic this summer. Barcelona, the third-placed club in the last season of the Spanish league, is led from the bench by Andrej Josep. Honved, with coach Marton Sivoš, has a young team with several extraordinary talents.
What is certain is that Šapčani can handle anyone. The first round is scheduled for October 10. Nemanja Ličanin's team will host Honved at the start. A week later they will host Barcelona. In the third round, on October 31, they will play against Panathinaikos in Athens. Then follows a duel with Honved in Budapest (November 14) and two matches at the pool in Šabac (against Barcelona on November 21 and Panathinaikos on December 5).
Vuljarmeni of Vladimir Vujasinović will play against rivals from the national championship Panionios, Italian Ortigia and Hungarian BVSC from Budapest, which defeated Pro Reko in the qualifiers.
Pro Reko, in which Miloš Ćirić works as an assistant in the coaching staff, will have the biggest rival in Group C in Croatian Mladost, and in this group are ASC Duisburg Vuka. Vuksanovića and Hungarian Solnok.
2024/25 European Cup Group Stage
Group A: Brescia (Italy), Jug (Croatia), Strasbourg (France), Apollon Smyrnis (Greece).
Group B: Panionios (Greece), Ortigia (Italy), BVSC Budapest (Hungary), Vouljagmeni (Greece).
Group C: Pro Reko (Italy), Solnok (Hungary), ASC Duisburg (Germany), Mladost (Croatia).
Group D: Panathinaikos (Greece), Sabac Elixir (Serbia), Barcelona (Spain), Honved (Hungary).
