The Fall of the Pro Reka Empire
Celebration of the water polo player Ferencvaroš in Malta, Photo: FTC Vízilabda/Facebook
Five years ago, Ferencvaros reached the pinnacle of European water polo for the first time in its history. Following a season interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, Pro Reko solidified its dominance with three consecutive titles, but today, once again, they had to extend their congratulations to the Budapest club…
Hungary is engulfed in a water polo frenzy as the FTC triumphs once more as the European champion—Balaž Njeki’s team bested the giants from Genoa with a score of 12:11 in the thrilling final held in Malta.
Former Montenegrin national team member Aleksandar Ivović did not participate in the final, which was ultimately decided in the dramatic closing moments…
Ferencvaroš “overcame” the semi-final against Novi Belgrade after a “brutality” foul (a four-minute exclusion) on Filip Filipović, raising questions about whether they would have celebrated tonight if a similar incident hadn’t occurred.
With four minutes and 25 seconds left, Gergo Zalanki, one of Pro Reko’s stars, was penalized for “brutality,” allowing FTC to take a lead of 10:8…
It appeared that the match was sealed, but Reko showcased their class even with one player down. They refused to concede, managing to construct an equalizing attack twenty seconds before the end…
Under the guidance of Sandra Sukna, the team executed a superb play for Franćesko Kondemi, and just as the ball found the net for a 12:12 tie, Dušan Mandić made a miraculous block to secure the title for Ferencvaros.
Mandić, who scored four goals, was the standout player in Budapest’s offense, with 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 also netted two goals apiece.
This season, which began in the group phase with Jadran from Herceg Novi, concluded triumphantly for the Hungarian great, while Pro Reko remains at an impressive record of 11 titles.
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