Season debut coincides with the return to the Men’s Euro Cup: Trieste in Montpellier for the Qualification Round

The time to dive into action has arrived. After a year of absence, Pallanuoto Trieste returns to European competitions. The 2025/2026 season of the team sponsored by Samer & Co. Shipping begins with a prestigious and demanding challenge: the Men’s Euro Cup Qualification Round (Group B). The matches will be played from Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 5 at the Olympique Angelotti pool in Montpellier (France): debut on October 3 at 6:30 pm against Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, on October 4 at 8:30 pm against the hosts Montpellier Water Polo, and on October 5 at 10:00 am against the Greek side Vouliagmeni.

The Euro Cup Qualification Round is divided into 4 groups; the top 4 teams and the 3 best second-placed sides will advance to the main phase (Group Stage). Teams that don’t qualify—except those already eliminated from the Champions League—will still have the chance to enter the Conference Cup, the new continental club competition launched by European Aquatics.

There’s no doubt that Trieste faces a tough challenge, considering the strength of the opponents. Crvena Zvezda represents one of the greatest water polo schools in the world, Serbia, capable of winning three consecutive Olympic gold medals. Montpellier will count on the home advantage. Vouliagmeni, meanwhile, is one of the strongest teams in the Greek league, coming from the Champions League preliminaries, and can rely on the leadership of Vlado Vujasinovic on the bench.

“We’ve trained hard and we’re ready,” said coach Maurizio Mirarchi. “It will definitely be tough, but we’re going there to give our best and try to qualify. We believe in it, technically we are well equipped, though the group of opponents we’ll face is high-level. Crvena Zvezda, Montpellier, and Vouliagmeni each have different characteristics but all of them with great quality. We’ll need to put focus and determination in the water, our goal is to continue our journey in the Euro Cup.”

All matches will be broadcast live on European Aquatics TV, with real-time play-by-play updates provided by Microplustiming.