Courtesy: LEN Media
The 20th edition of the LEN Trophy finals take place in Kirishi and feature three sides which played for the Euro League in this pool a year ago. This demonstrates the high quality of the two-day event, scheduled for the busiest weekend of the season with the men’s Euro Cup final and a Champions League round is also being played.
Top-level water polo returns to Kirishi once again – just as three sides from last year’s Euro League Final Four tournament which demonstrates how balanced female water polo is at the top level. The host Russian side retained the Euro League trophy last April but this season it failed to reach the F4 in that competition. Instead, it hosts the LEN Trophy finals and can welcome back Orizzonte (ITA) and UVSE (HUN) which were also part of the 2018 show here – back then they played for the bronze medal. The fourth player of the weekend is going to be newcomer Sant Andreu (ESP).
Orizzonte, the record-holder female club with 8 Euro League titles, can have a shot at adding the LEN Trophy to its treasury. It would be a first for the club but a 10th victory for Italian sides. They meet Sant Andreau in the semis and they are the favorites.
The other SF features home side Kirishi and UVSE. These two teams played the 2018 Super Cup Final where the Russians won in Budapest convincingly, later in the season the Hungarian could beat them in the prelims of the Euro League.
A triumph would mean a special treble for Kirishi, which can add the LEN Trophy to the two Euro League titles claimed in 2017 and 2018. On the other hand, UVSE can maintain Hungary’s march as the Budapest based team already clinched this cup in 2017, followed by fellow Dunaujvaros’s win last spring.
Women’s LEN Trophy, Final Four, Kirishi (RUS) – Schedule
Semi-finals (Saturday)
17.00 Ekipe Orizzonte (ITA) v Sant Andreu (ESP)
18.30 Kinef-Surgutneftegas Kirishi (RUS) v UVSE-Hunguest Hotels (HUN)
Medal Round (Sunday)
13.00 Bronze medal match
14.30 LEN Trophy Final