Champions League Men: Recco heroics sink FTC in Budapest, while Mladost down Hannover

Pro Recco produced a stunning 0-5 first quarter against FTC in Budapest, which set them on their way to a historic victory in their Champions League Quarter Final Stage opener. It was the title-holders’ first regular-time defeat in an official competition since April 2024 and their first in Budapest since May 2023. Meanwhile, HAVK Mladost also enjoyed a 5-0 opening period, which allowed them to keep Waspo 98 Hannover at arm’s length for the remainder of their clash in Zagreb.

2025/26 Champions League Men
Quarter Final Stage, Day 1
Wednesday 4 March 2026

Group B

FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) 9-13 Pro Recco (ITA)
HAVK Mladost (CRO) 12-8 Waspo 98 Hannover (GER)

Group B

FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) 9-13 Pro Recco (ITA)

Recco’s 0-5 blast in the opening eight minutes was a stunner and enough to kill the party right away.

Fradi were unable to recover from the shock and could not come any closer than four goals at any stage of the match.

Recco took a flying start. Francesco di Fulvio struck after 21 seconds with a great drive, then they managed to kill a man-up courtesy of Gianmarco Nicosia, who also stopped Dusan Mandic’s shot.

At the other end, Alvaro Granados had a clean finish from Recco’s first extra to make it 0-2 with 4:45 on the clock.

Fradi missed their second six-on-five too and, despite Soma Vogel making a couple of fine saves, Recco went 0-3 up as the post denied Akos Nagy in another man-up while Di Fulvio netted Recco’s second with a well-timed strike.

The title-holders’ troubles only deepened. Stylianos Argyropoulos also hit the post from an extra – they were 0 for 4 at this stage – while Giacomo Cannella blasted one in from the perimeter.

Further astonishing developments followed: a steal not only ended Fradi’s fifth man-up but also led to a fast counter and Francesco Condemi made it 0-5 with five seconds to go.

Dusan Mandic broke the ice 29 seconds into the second from a penalty, but Recco needed only 12 seconds to reply as Condemi finished a fine drive-in.

Fradi sank to 0 for 6 in man-ups as an assist to the 2m line went into no-man’s land. The next chance found Gergo Fekete in front of goal, but the Recco defenders managed to block it on the goal-line – an extraordinary effort.

The hosts’ struggles continued as another man-up was wasted, so they had only that solitary penalty goal before Marton Vamos finally scored from action five minutes into the quarter for 2-6.

Again, Recco’s reply came right away as they once more showed brilliant man-up play. Then the youngest player in the field, Vince Varga, sent the ball home to score Fradi’s first man-up goal from their 10th extra.

Vogel produced a big save in a man-down and FTC had a chance to cut the deficit to three in a man-up shortly before the break, but another block denied them.

Recco were simply too good in defence and led 3-7 at half-time.

The trend did not change in the third. Max Irving fired one in from the perimeter 13 seconds after the restart – incoming reserve goalkeeper Daniel Szakonyi was yet to find his rhythm – while Nicosia made another stop in a man-down as his defenders worked tirelessly once more.

Mandic offered a perfect lob from a counter-like attack, but Fradi’s next effort was well stopped by the defence and Alvaro Granados then came up with back-to-back goals from man-ups, even though those were called in front of Recco’s goal.

Balazs Nyeki had seen enough, called a time-out and sent Vogel back in, but with 4:50 to go at 4-10, a comeback looked unlikely.

A second attempt from Vendel Vigvari brought FTC a bit closer in a man-up, and a little later Marton Vamos blasted home cleanly to make it 6-10.

Blocks also arrived in front of Fradi’s goal, but they could not come any closer. After two six-on-fives were converted, they were unable to find a way through in their next one and, even though Vogel made a save in a man-down, another 6m attempt was blocked.

This time Argyropoulos’ shot was stopped, while Mandic had not had much luck earlier either, highlighting how another lethal Fradi weapon was a little off this evening (0/6 in this category).

After missing chances to close to within three, Fradi found themselves five down again early in the fourth as Francesco Cassia made no mistake in a six-on-four.

Argyropoulos finally scored after three missed shots, from a penalty, but although they had two attempts in their next man-up, they could not beat Nicosia, while Recco made the most of their chance at the other end as Rino Buric finished well from action.

The next Fradi man-up produced three shots, none of which found the net. Francesco di Fulvio needed only one to make it 7-13 with 4:34 to go.

Edoardo di Somma then had a fine finish in another man-up, but it was telling that Fradi had had 17 by that point, taken 16 shots and scored only three goals.

It stayed that way as the blocks came once more. Di Somma added another from action for 9-13 with two minutes remaining.

Recco did not need to push for more. A four-goal win in the home of the title-holders was more than they could have asked for and, in fact, they handed FTC their first regular-time defeat in an official competition since April 2024 and their first in Budapest since May 2023.

Group B

HAVK Mladost (CRO) 12-8 Waspo 98 Hannover (GER)

Mladost followed almost the same script as Recco in Budapest – although their 5-0 opening quarter and four-goal win was less surprising against Hannover.

For the rest of the match they managed the game well, never letting Waspo come closer than four goals, apart from a brief spell late in the fourth.

Ante Vukicevic converted Mladost’s first man-up, then both goalkeepers came up with a couple of saves before Andrija Basic doubled the Croats’ lead with a blast from the perimeter.

Hannover’s Vukicevic, Lazar, was less successful in the Germans’ first man-up (no relation, he is Montenegrin), as the hosts’ young goalkeeper Mauro Cubranic produced a fine save.

A quick set-up at the other end allowed Josip Vrlic to finish off their second six-on-five from close range and, after another stop by Cubranic in a man-down, Marko Radulovic made it 4-0.

The third man-up was missed but not the fourth, as this time the 2m feed worked and Luka Loncar converted for 5-0, while Waspo wasted their third extra shortly before the break.

More than two minutes into the second, Zoran Bozic broke the ice for the Germans, but Luka Bukic responded from the next six-on-five to restore the five-goal gap.

Waspo could not break down the Croatian defence, while the hosts continued to force man-ups and also added a goal from the right wing by left-hander Ivan Nagaev to make it 7-1.

Bozic pulled one back on a counter with 1:09 remaining in the quarter, but it was clear that Mladost were keeping the game firmly under control.

The pace slowed somewhat after half-time. The Croats missed another extra, while Lukas Kueppers found the net from action, but Waspo could not deny the next man-up as Franko Lazic fired in for 8-3.

The pattern repeated a little later: Mark Gansen scored from action, but Bukic responded just 22 seconds later and Radulovic added another 42 seconds before the final break.

Although Denis Strelezkij converted an extra with 0:18 remaining, Hannover were still unable to reduce the gap established in the first period as they trailed 10-5.

A fine finish from Viktor Toncinic restored Mladost’s six-goal lead after just 23 seconds of the fourth, but the home side visibly eased off while the Germans kept fighting and managed to score three in a row, though not in quick succession.

When Kueppers converted a six-on-five, only 2:40 remained. Konstantin Kharkov then made sure they would not come any closer, ending Mladost’s 5:30 scoring drought and securing a calm final two minutes, with no further goals at either end.

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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics

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