Women's Euro Cup: first leg of the final, Trieste faces Dutch side De Zaan at the “Bianchi”

The long wait is almost over. On Saturday, March 15, the “Bruno Bianchi” swimming pool will host the first leg of the Women's Euro Cup final between Pallanuoto Trieste and Zv De Zaan. The match kicks off at 6:00 PM, with free entry. The game will be streamed live (pay-per-view) on European Aquatics TV, with real-time play-by-play coverage provided by Microplustiming. The referees for the match will be Marta Cabanas (Spain) and Aurelie Blanchard (France).

The Samer & Co. Shipping-sponsored team enters the most important game of the season after an intense week of training. Following their domestic league defeat to Sis Roma, head coach Paolo Zizza has focused on analyzing the threats posed by a top-tier opponent and managing the mental aspect of a high-stakes final. “We are in good shape,” said the Neapolitan coach. “We feel the responsibility of playing in a final, and I’ve seen the girls focused and attentive. However, we must avoid letting tension affect us too much. We know De Zaan well; we faced them last year, and they made a strong impression. They have improved even further since then. They are a very physical team and particularly strong defensively. We will need patience and careful ball management, keeping in mind the two-leg format. It will be a goal-for-goal battle, where small details, the right tactical approach, and, above all, grit, determination, and the will to win will make the difference.”

As per European competition regulations, only 13 players can be listed for the match, and Zizza will finalize his selection on Saturday morning.

The Dutch side returns to the “Bruno Bianchi” exactly one year after the Final Four, where they finished third, having been eliminated in the semifinals by Pallanuoto Trieste. Mick Van Den Bree’s team is having a near-perfect season. De Zaan currently leads the Eredivisie with 31 points and remains undefeated in the Euro Cup: four wins in the Preliminary Round, followed by back-to-back victories over Panionios in the quarterfinals and Glyfada in the semifinals, winning 6-9 in Greece and 11-10 at home. Their standout players include sisters Lieke and Bente Rogge, both of whom won bronze with the Netherlands at the Paris 2024 Olympics.