LEN Champions League History
| Winner | ||
|---|---|---|
1963-1964 | Partizan Belgrade | YUG |
1964-1965 | Recco | ITA |
1965-1966 | Partizan Belgrade | YUG |
1966-1967 | Partizan Belgrade | YUG |
1967-1968 | Mladost Zagreb | YUG |
1968-1969 | Mladost Zagreb | YUG |
1969-1970 | Mladost Zagreb | YUG |
1970-1971 | Partizan Belgrade | YUG |
1971-1972 | Mladost Zagreb | YUG |
1972-1973 | OSC Budapest | HUN |
1973-1974 | MGU Moscow | URS |
1974-1975 | Partizan Belgrade | YUG |
1975-1976 | Partizan Belgrade | YUG |
1976-1977 | MGU Moscow | URS |
1977-1978 | Canottieri Naples | ITA |
1978-1979 | OSC Budapest | HUN |
1979-1980 | Vasas Budapest | HUN |
1980-1981 | JUG Dubrovnik | YUG |
1981-1982 | CN Barcelona | ESP |
1982-1983 | Spandau 04 Berlin | FRG |
1983-1984 | Stefanel Recco | ITA |
1984-1985 | Vasas Budapest | HUN |
1985-1986 | Spandau 04 Berlin | FRG |
1986-1987 | Spandau 04 Berlin | FRG |
1987-1988 | Sisley Pescara | ITA |
1988-1989 | Spandau 04 Berlin | FRG |
1989-1990 | Mladost Zagreb | YUG |
1990-1991 | Mladost Zagreb | YUG |
1991-1992 | Jadran Koteks Split | CRO |
1992-1993 | Jadran Koteks Split | CRO |
1993-1994 | Ujpesti Budapest | HUN |
1994-1995 | Catalunya Barcelona | ESP |
1995-1996 | Mladost Zagreb | CRO |
1996-1997 | Thermis Posillipo Naples | ITA |
1997-1998 | CN Posillipo Naples | ITA |
1998-1999 | Splitska Banka Split | CRO |
1999-2000 | VK Becej Nis Naftagas | YUG |
2000-2001 | JUG Dubrovnik | CRO |
2001-2002 | Olympiacos Piraeus | GRE |
2002-2003 | Pro Recco | ITA |
2003-2004 | Domino BHSE Budapest | HUN |
2004-2005 | CN Posillipo Naples | ITA |
2005-2006 | JUG Dubrovnik | CRO |
2006-2007 | Pro Recco | ITA |
2007-2008 | Pro Recco | ITA |
2008-2009 | VK Primorac Kotor | MNE |
2009-2010 | Pro Recco | ITA |
2010-2011 | Partizan Raiffeisen Belgrade | SRB |
2011-2012 | Ferla Pro Recco | ITA |
2012-2013 | BVK Crvena Zvezda | SRB |
2013-2014 | CNA Barceloneta | ESP |
2014-2015 | Pro Recco | ITA |
2015-2016 | JUG Dubrovnik | CRO |
2016-2017 | Szolnoki VSK | HUN |
2017-2018 | Olympiacos Piraeus | GRE |
2018-2019 | FTC Telekom Budapest | HUN |
2019-2020 | ||
2020-2021 | Pro Recco | ITA |
2021-2022 | Pro Recco | ITA |
| Club | Wins |
|---|---|
Pro Recco | 10 |
Mladost Zagreb | 7 |
Partizan Belgrade | 7 |
JUG Dubrovnik | 4 |
Spandau Berlin | 4 |
CN Posillipo Naples | 3 |
Olympiacos Piraeus | 2 |
Jadran Split | 2 |
OSC Budapest | 2 |
Vasas Budapest | 2 |
| Competition Names | |
|---|---|
1963-1996 | European Water Polo Cup |
1996-2003 | Champions League |
2004-2011 | LEN Euro League |
2011-Present | LEN Champions League |
Some Milestones of the Champions League
- The Champions League grew out of the original Champions Cup established in 1963
- It was decided to introduce a new National Champion’s Club Championship at the LEN Bureau Meeting on 7th June 1963. The idea was suggested by Hungary
- The competition, which was to be called European Champions Cup was for clubs that had won their own national league championship in the preceding season
- It was decided that the competition would not be held if fewer than 6 teams entered. In the end, 17 teams entered this first ever competition with 13 taking part. This number increased to 15 in 1965
- The preliminary rounds of the 1963 Championship were organised in 2 groups, in Naples and Magdeburg. The final rounds were organised by th Yugoslavian Federation and staged in Zagreb where Partizan Belgrade was the winner. The Championship in 1965 was won by Pro Recco of Italy with Partizan, runners up, and Dinamo Magdeburg, third
- On June 7th 1964, it was decided that the LEN Water Polo Committee would be responsible for establishing permanent rules for the European Champions Cup
- The Yugoslavian sports review ‘Sport’ presented the first cup to be presented to the winners of the competition
- In 1966, Partizan Belgrade became the first team to win the trophy 3 times
- By 1968, the championships were being organised in four groups, normally of 4 (or even 5) clubs
- In 1974, the number of participating clubs had grown to 19 but only 2 clubs were willing to organise the preliminaty groups and a special meeting was called in September 1973 to determine the other 2 required venues. London, Sofia and Izmir came through as 3 of the 4 cities with the participating clubs meeting 50% of their accommodation costs. Partizan defeated Helsingfors 16-0 in the group stage in Sofia, at that time one of the highest number of goals scored in one match
- In the early years, the Championship was often difficult to organise. The LEN Bureau recorded at their meeting of March 26th 1976 at the Hotel Danieli Royal Excelsior in Venice that cisas were refused to a Spanish team for a match in Czechoslovakia and that there had been crowd interference at games played in Civitavecchia
- During the 1980’s the Championship was more commonly known as the European Water Polo Cup for National Champions. Also, in the 1980’s, the preliminary rounfs were held between October and November with the final held at the start of December and the Super Cup Final, Between the national league champions and the winners of the European Cup Winners’ Cup Competition, in mid December
- In 1982, Alphen defeated Instanbul in Paris 39-2, one of the highest scores recorded. Alphen were later themselveds knocked out in the quarter finals
- In 1989, Spandau Berlin won the last of its championships. It had won the Cup 4 times in just 6 years
- In 1990-1991, Mladost Zagreb won the European Cup for the seventh time
- In 1992, the finals started to be held later in February and by 1993, the tournament entry had grown to 24 teams. By 1006, the ‘Final Four’ semi finals and finals were being played in April
- In 2010-2011 Partizan Belgrade equalled Mladost Zagreb’s seven cup victories
- In 2011-2012 the name of the Euro League was changed to European Champions League
- In the same year, Pro Recco drew level with Mladost Zagreb and Partizan Belgrade with 7 all-time championship wins. Pro Recco is now on 9 wins
- Six Clubs have won the Cup 3 or more times
