Olympiacos SFP will arrive in Malta as the team with the richest Champions League history. The Greek giants have stood on the podium eight times after winning gold (2015, 2021 & 2022) and silver (2017, 2019 & 2024) on three occasions and bronze twice (2011 & 2025).
In contrast, the second most successful team in this season’s Final 4 is Spain’s Sant Andreu, who have only been among the medals twice (gold in 2025 and bronze in 2024).
These incredible stats mean Olympiacos have finished in the top three in seven of the last 10 editions. It also means the Piraeus-based side are a team to be feared, especially as their form heading into the finals has already seen them lift two domestic trophies this season.
In the Greek championship, they beat Vouliagmeni 3-1 (9-7, 13-12, 9-11, 15-13) in the recent play-off finals series to secure a record 16th title. They also claimed a record seventh domestic Greek cup with a 15-13 victory, again against Vouliagmeni, in April.
Olympiacos’ journey to Malta has been equally impressive, including knocking out seven-time Champions League winners Sabadell 27-20 (17-12 & 10-8) on aggregate in the quarterfinals.
They did show one sign of weakness, though, in the group stage on day 5, when they suffered a third-quarter collapse in Budapest against UVSE.
Despite fighting back to level late in the fourth quarter, Panna Tiba struck with 22 seconds remaining to inflict Olympiacos’ only defeat in Europe this season.
In the semifinals in Malta, Olympiacos will clash with Spain’s CN Mataro – a team still searching for their first title – and a side they know well after facing them on five previous occasions in the Champions League.
Since 2019, the Greeks have come out on top in three of those matches, including their most recent meeting, which also came in the last four two years ago in Barcelona (16-12).
“Throughout the season, we’ve maintained a consistent level of performance, managing to finish first in our group and then eliminate a very strong team, Sabadell, in the quarterfinals,” stated Olympiacos coach Georgios Ntoskas before his team heads to Malta.
“Winning the domestic double and qualifying for the Final 4 have definitely been the highlights of our season so far, while injuries, as well as interruptions during the season due to national team commitments, were some of the challenges we’ve had to overcome along the way.
“Now, we’re preparing very well so we will be fully ready for the semifinal with Mataro. Winning the Final 4 would be something truly special, both for the club and for all of us who are part of this team.
“We’re genuinely looking forward to experiencing the tournament in Malta, enjoying all the matches and giving our very best. It’ll also be great to watch and support the efforts of our men’s team.”
“Our journey this season has been very satisfying so far,” added Olympiacos’ Stefania Santa, who joined from Vouliagmeni in 2022. “Apart from the one defeat we suffered during the group stage, we’ve shown many positive qualities and great character in every match.
“The most significant moments were winning the Greek championship in Vouliagmeni’s home pool – the same place where we lost it a year earlier – and eliminating Sabadell from the Champions League in the quarterfinals. They are a team with a tremendous history in this competition, so that was a great achievement.
“After the four highly demanding finals we’ve played against Vouliagmeni recently, we’re already in excellent physical condition for Malta, so our main focus will be on the tactical aspects of the game.
“Winning the Final 4 would be extremely important for the club this season. It would mean we’ve won every trophy available to us and would allow us to finish the season in the best possible way.
“For me personally, it would be particularly special, as it would be my first Champions League title.
“We are all very excited and looking forward to Malta, even more so because the men’s and women’s competitions will take place together for the first time.
“This will give more Olympiacos supporters the opportunity to be there and stand by our side – not just for one team, but for both of our water polo teams – and that means a great deal to us.”
“We’ve performed really well in Champions League this year,” said Olympiacos’ Australian star Abby Andrews, who joined the Greek giants two summers ago. “Despite one loss in the group, we were able to bounce back and pull ahead in games that were really important while staying connected as a team.
“One of the major highlights from this season was definitely our strong quarterfinal performance against Sabadell, who knocked us out in the semifinals last year.
“We’ve also been able to see steady progress as we’ve gone through the season and we hope to keep building on this.
“We’re super excited for Malta and now the Greek championship is finished, we’ve fully redirected our focus to the task ahead.
“We’ll attack each game as a team and hope to have a really strong performance. We’d love for this to be our year and we’ll work hard to make this a reality.
“Playing alongside the men’s Final 4 is a huge step up for the women’s game. We now have a great opportunity to promote our game to a bigger audience and be a part of a new tradition.
“We can’t wait to be there to compete for the title and to cheer on our men’s team as well.”
Olympiacos SFP – Route to Malta Final 4
2025/26 Results
Group Stage
(1st place, Group A)
Alimos NAC Betsson 8-17 Olympiacos SFP
Olympiacos SFP 9-6 UVSE Helia-D
Olympiacos SFP 16-8 DFVE Vizilabda
Olympiacos SFP 20-9 Alimos NAC Betsson
UVSE Helia-D 16-15 Olympiacos SFP
DFVE Vizilabda 3-19 Olympiacos SFP
Quarterfinals
Astralpool CN Sabadell 12-17 Olympiacos SFP
Olympiacos SFP 10-8 Astralpool CN Sabadell
(Agg: 27-20)
Best Champions League finishes
1st – 2015, 2021 & 2022
2nd – 2017, 2019 & 2024
3rd – 2011 & 2025
2026 Final 4 Fixtures
Semifinals
Wednesday 10 June
(Local times shown)
19:00: FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) v CN Sant Andreu (ESP)
21:00: Assolim CN Mataro (ESP) v Olympiacos SFP (GRE)
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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics
