Five years ago, Ferencvaros made history by becoming the first Hungarian club to reach the pinnacle of European water polo. Following a season interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, Pro Reko had built a remarkable dynasty with three consecutive titles, and now they had to applaud the team from Budapest once again…

Hungary is basking in water polo glory once more, as the FTC has reclaimed the title of European champions – Balaž Njeki’s squad triumphed in a thrilling final against the giants from Genoa, winning 12:11 in Malta.

Notably, Aleksandar Ivović, a former player for the Montenegrin national team, was absent from the final, a match that was decided in the nerve-wracking final seconds…

Ferencvaroš had a challenging path to the final, particularly the semi-final against Novi Belgrade, which was marked by a “brutality” foul (a four-minute exclusion) on Filip Filipović, raising questions about whether they would have made it to the final victory without such incidents.

With four minutes and 25 seconds left, Gergo Zalanki, one of Pro Reka’s standout players, received a “brutality” foul, allowing FTC to take a commanding lead at 10:8…

Despite the odds, Reko displayed their class even when down a player, nearly equalizing with an attack just twenty seconds from the end…

The team managed an exceptional play for Franćesko Kondemi, and when it seemed the score would tie at 12:12, it was Dušan Mandić who came to Ferencvaroš’s rescue with a miraculous block, securing the title.

Mandić was instrumental for the Budapest side, scoring four goals, followed by Stilijanos Argiropoulos, Denes Varga, and Silard Janšik, each contributing two goals.

On the opposing side, Francesco di Fulvio, Aaron Younger, Kostantinos Kakaris, and Mateo Joki Grata each scored twice.

The season that began in the group stages with Jadran from Herceg Novi ended in the most glorious fashion for the Hungarian powerhouse, while Pro Reko remains at an impressive total of 11 titles.

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