Men’s Euro Cup: first match of the group stage, at the “Bianchi” pool, Trieste hosts CN Barcelona

Top-level European water polo returns to the city. On Thursday, October 16, in the first match of the Men’s Euro Cup group stage (Group B), Pallanuoto Trieste will host CN Barcelona. The match will take place at the “Bruno Bianchi” pool, starting at 8:00 p.m., with free entry for spectators. The referees will be Andrej Franulovic (Croatia) and Spyridon Achladiotis (Greece). The game will be broadcast live on European Aquatics TV, with real-time play-by-play provided by Microplustiming.

The team sponsored by Samer & Co. Shipping heads into this opening Group Stage encounter in good form, despite a few confirmed lineup issues. Francesco Faraglia remains unavailable, while center-forward Luca Marziali — who was rested as a precaution on Saturday — is expected to return. Their opponents are a team of great tradition, and in a group that promises to be very balanced, every point will be crucial in the race for qualification to the round of 16 (which the top two teams will reach).

“It’s going to be a tough match,” said coach Maurizio Mirarchi. “We’re facing a team that’s more accustomed than we are to international competition. Still, we’re eager to perform well and aware that earning a positive result right away would be very important to set the tone for our path forward. We’ll need a high-level performance, staying focused and alert from the first to the last minute.”

CN Barcelona, coached by Romanian head coach Andrei Iosep, is the most successful men’s water polo club in Spanish history, boasting an impressive 58 national titles — though the last one came in 2005. Last season, the Catalan side finished third in the league, behind Barceloneta and Sabadell. In their opening match of the current Spanish championship, CN Barcelona overwhelmed Encinas de Boadilla 21–6, with 4 goals from Pol Prat and a hat-trick from Japanese international Taiyo Watanabe.