European Super Cup battle; Laura Aarts and Simone van de Kraats facing Maxine Schaap

Tonight at 7.00 p.m., it's time; Laura Aarts and Simone van de Kraats, with their new club Sabadell, will face the Italian team Padova led by Maxine Schaap.

Last season, Sabadell, with current GZC Donk players Sabrina van der Sloot and Maartje Keuning, won the Champions League for the second consecutive year. Van der Sloot scored two goals in the final against Greek team Olympiacos. Aarts and Van de Kraats moved from their Spanish rival Mataró last summer. In the battle for the third and fourth place, they lost to Sant Andreu in the biggest European club tournament, where Roline Schuijt plays.

The 23-year-old Schaap made a successful transition to the Italian league in 2023 after winning the Dutch Super Cup, KNZB Cup, and national title with ZV De Zaan. In the Euro Cup, Schaap helped Padova reach the final by scoring eight goals in the semifinal against Zuglo, which they won 10-8 against Trieste. In the Italian league, Padova lost the final to reigning champion Ekipe Orizzonte.

Schaap fondly recalls winning the Euro Cup in nearby Trieste. 'Due to the short distance with Padova, many supporters joined. It was an amazing atmosphere, and of course, winning the Euro Cup was fantastic!'

She, as a fluent Italian speaker, is excited to play in the European Super Cup match. She expects a challenging match for the young Italian team.

'It will be an interesting game against a strong and complete opponent. We have a young and talented team, which will be a learning experience for many of our players. With Laura and Simone among the opponents, we know what is expected of us, and we want to compete at this level!'

Last weekend, Sabadell won the opening match of the Spanish league against title contender Sant Andreu with a score of 15-10. The game against Padova is special for Aarts, as it reminds her of her time in Hungary.

'The match takes me back to 2018 when I won the European Super Cup with Dunaújváros. It was a wonderful experience back then! I am very excited to play the game tonight and hopefully end it with a victory! I want to create another beautiful memory tonight with this fantastic club.'

The left-handed Simone van de Kraats is also looking forward to facing Padova.

'It's a special match because I have never played in a European Super Cup before. Additionally, it's great that we are playing in our home pool! It will be an interesting game between two good teams. It won't be easy, but considering our quality, we are up for the challenge. We aim to win this match.'

Interestingly, out of the six Super Cup finals that the Spanish team has played, they won four and lost two to Italian teams (Pro Recco in 2011 and Orizzonte in 2019).

The match can be watched live through this livestream link. Do you want to know how Simone van de Kraats and Laura Aarts experienced their move from Mataró to Sabadell? And how Maxine Schaap is enjoying life in Italy? Stay tuned for more updates soon!