History
The project was clear: to bring local water polo back to the highest level.
On Saturday, February 21, 2004, in the backdrop of the old "Bruno Bianchi" venue, Pallanuoto Trieste played its first-ever match in the Serie D league. In a 12-8 victory over Mantova, the very first goal was scored by Jacopo Giacomini.
On February 29, 2004, it was the women's team's turn, making their debut in Serie C and winning 13-5 against Piove di Sacco.
The club quickly climbed the national ranks, achieving a double promotion to A2 for both men and women in 2008. However, the turning point came in 2015. On June 6, in front of nearly 1500 spectators filling the stands of the "Bruno Bianchi" swimming pool complex, Pallanuoto Trieste defeated Ortigia Siracusa 11-5 in the playoff game-3 final, securing promotion to the men's A1, a category that had been absent from the city for 53 years. In the top national league, the Alabardati team found their footing, competing in what is considered the toughest water polo tournament in the world. They achieved an eighth-place finish as newcomers in 2015/2016, and their best result to date, seventh place, in 2016/2017, a milestone repeated in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019. The 2019/2020 season marked the club's fifth consecutive season in the men's A1.
The Orchettes as the women's team members are affectionately called, established themselves firmly in the upper echelons of the women's A2, reaching the playoff semifinals in the 2011/2012 season. However, in 2012/2013, the club embarked on a new journey with the Orchettes, a group of young girls all from Trieste and nurtured within Pallanuoto Trieste. In the summer of 2016, they achieved an extraordinary success: Pallanuoto Trieste became the Italian champions in the Under 15 women's category. Just a few weeks earlier, the Alabardati team had also won the Serie B playoffs, earning their return to the A2 women's league. In their second national league, the Orchettes made great strides, finishing seventh in 2016/2017 and fourth in 2017/2018. In 2018/2019, Pallanuoto Trieste dominated: first place in the regular season, a victory in game-1 of the playoff final against Acquachiara, and then, on June 27, 2019, in Naples, a resounding 16-7 win against the Neapolitan opponents in game-2. It was promotion to the women's A1, a height never before reached by a women's water polo team from Trieste.
At the youth level, Pallanuoto Trieste has won 6 medals: gold in the Under 15 women's category, two silvers in the Under 17 women's category, and three bronze in the Under 15 e Under 20 women's category. Trieste's athletes have also achieved success in the national youth teams: Michele Mezzarobba won silver at the European Men's Championship U19 (2016), Lucrezia Cergol and Sara Ingannamorte secured bronze at the Women's World Cup U18 (2016), Lucrezia Cergol won silver at the Women's World Cup U18 (2018), Andrea Mladossich claimed gold at the European Men’s Championship U17 (2019), Gaia Gregorutti, Giorgia Klatowski, and Veronica Gant earned bronze at the European Women's Championship U17 (2019), and Lucrezia Cergol won bronze at the Women's World Cup U20 (2019).
In the 2023/2024 season, our women's team embarked on a beautiful European adventure. The Orchette first competed in the preliminary rounds of the Champions League, followed by the group stage of the Euro Cup. They finished at the top of Group B, ahead of BVSC, Spandau Berlin, and Grand Nancy, thus qualifying for the Final Four on April 13-14, 2024. The final stage of the Euro Cup was hosted at the "Bruno Bianchi" and organized by Pallanuoto Trieste. In the semifinals, the Orchette triumphed over the Dutch team De Zaan with a score of 10-8 after a stunning comeback. However, in the final, the victory went to Plebiscito Padova. In the women's Serie A1 championship, Pallanuoto Trieste firmly established itself in the playoff zone from the very beginning. They achieved the remarkable feat of winning against the Italian champions Orizzonte Catania on their home ground. Yet, the opportunity to qualify for the championship semifinals slipped away on the final day due to the tiebreaker standings. In the Final Six of the Coppa Italia, the Orchette defeated Brizz Nuoto in the quarterfinals but succumbed to Plebiscito Padova in the semifinals, ultimately finishing the tournament in fourth place.
The 2023/2024 season proved more challenging for the men's team. Pallanuoto Trieste participated in the Euro Cup for the second consecutive year, successfully navigating the preliminary round but falling short in the group stage. The first half of the men's Serie A1 championship concluded with a sixth-place standing, a position maintained after the Scudetto Round. However, in the playoffs, they faced defeats against De Akker Bologna and Telimar Palermo, resulting in an eighth-place finish and missing out on European competitions for the 2024/2025 season. In the Final Eight of the Coppa Italia, Pallanuoto Trieste secured seventh place after being eliminated in the quarterfinals by An Brescia, who eventually won the competition. At the end of the season, the club announced the appointment of Maurizio Mirarchi as the new head coach of the men's Serie A1 team.
The 2024/2025 season was one of redemption for the men’s team. With new head coach Maurizio Mirarchi on the bench, after a natural adjustment period, the team achieved truly remarkable results. A fourth-place finish at the end of the men’s Serie A1 regular season, a very close championship semifinal against AN Brescia, and a Coppa Italia semifinal narrowly lost—amid controversy—against the powerhouse Pro Recco Waterpolo. In any case, Pallanuoto Trieste immediately earned back the right to compete in the Men’s Euro Cup after a one-year absence from European competitions.
Europe has become a regular destination for the women’s team, which once again in the 2024/2025 season reached the Euro Cup final—though the Orchette were unlucky, falling to the strong Dutch side Zv De Zaan over two matches. Pallanuoto Trieste, fifth at the end of the women’s Serie A1 regular season, also reached the championship semifinals (losing to Orizzonte Catania) and the Coppa Italia semifinals (missing out by the smallest margin against Sis Roma).
