Pro Recco as a legend, the Champions of the star arrives!

And the day of the star arrived. From Belgrade, after an extraordinarily intense final, Pro Recco is confirmed and returns with Champions number 10. 57 years after the triumph at the Cozzi pool in Milan. And with the most exciting ending: on penalties (17-16). The regular time ends 13-13, from five meters the former Mandic and the best in the field, Jaksic, are wrong. A mistake also for Younger, fortunately without damage. “I am proud of this team” exults Sandro Sukno, at the first European cup as a coach. In 2012 he won the only one as a player: naturally with the same club.

SUPER JAKSIC

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Thrilling game, Serbs ahead even by two goals at 4-2 in the first half, at 10-8 and 11-9 in the third, but our players never give up. In the last 8 ‘Younger’s brace for 11-11, the superiority achieved by an immense Jaksic, Hallock’s 12-12 from the center, the new overtaking of Novi Beograd signed by Jaksic (at the sixth goal), then the definitive 13-13 by Zalanki (on the fifth goal) with the extra man at -12 “. Then, on penalties, the epilogue already described, with the technicians who also send Gojko Pijetlovic and Negri between the posts (he is there when Jaksic sends on the crossbar) in place of Coimbra Serra and Del Lungo (the blue saves the shot of the former Mandic). Cinnamon is awarded as mvp of the Final Eight. Sukno had sent Bertoli to the stands.

WHAT NUMBERS

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Thus the Ligurians – in the final number 17 – break away further in the roll of honor (Partizan and Mladost are at 7) and also hit the Triplete, after winning the Italian Cup and the Scudetto. The Biancocelesti also won the European Super Cup in December, which however must be referred to the previous season. Pro Recco was the last team to win two Champions in a row, in 2007 and 2008. It is a special milestone especially for Figlioli, in the sixth Champions League, an undertaking that was only successful in Djordje Perisic (with Partizan, Yugoslavia, between 1964 and 1976) and Maurizio Felugo (between 2005 and 2015, the first success with Posillipo, the others with Recco), now its president. Pietro also won it in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2021. A year ago, again in Belgrade, the success came against Ferencvaros, defeated yesterday in the semifinals. It is also the success of Velotto, who stayed at home because he injured his right hand. The last treble from Recchese dates back to 2015, when Milanovic, now coach of Novi Beograd, sat on the bench: in the final in Barcelona against Primorje he did not field Felugo, who was very disappointed. Pro Recco was the last team to win two Champions in a row, in 2007 and 2008. Previously, Partizan (1966 and 1967, 1975 and 1976), Mladost (three times from 1968 to 1970, then in 1990 and 1991), Spandau (1986 and 1987), Jadran Spalato (1992 and 1993) and Posillipo (1997 and 1998, the only Italian final, with Pescara). Four times the organizing team did not win when it went to the final: in 2002 with Honved in Budapest, in 2011 and 2018 with Recco, respectively in Rome and Genoa, and now with Novi Beograd.

BRAVO BRESCIA

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In the final for third place, Ferencvaros beat Brescia 14-12 (5-2, 2-4, 4-2, 3-4). Among the Lombard, returning from the daring semifinal with Novi Beograd (14-13 signed by the former Vlachopoulos with 5 ”from the end), four goals from Dolce. For the Hungarians, two goals from the blue left-handed Damonte. Bovo’s team closes a season of applause, albeit without titles: finalist in the Italian Cup and in the league, one step away from the Champions League final (after having finished the preliminary round in command). The coaches of the top four teams were Olympic champions in water: the Croatian Sukno (2012), Milanovic at the time of Jugslavia (1984,1988), Bovo col Settebello (1992) and the Hungarian Varga (2000).

THE RESULTS: quarters Brescia-Hannover (Ger) 12-5, Pro Recco-Barceloneta (Spa) 11-10, Novi Beograd (Srb) -Marsiglia (Fra) 16-10, Ferencvaros (Ung) -Jug (Cro) 9-6; semifinals Novi Beograd-Brescia 14-13, Pro Recco-Ferencvaros 10-7 (20.30); final 3rd place Ferencvaros-Brescia 14-13, 1st place Novi Beograd-Pro Recco 16-17 rig. (13-13)