All eyes will be on the south of France this weekend as CN Marseille and VK Jadran Split face off in the first leg of the eagerly awaited men’s Euro Cup final. Eight months after the initial qualification rounds, only two teams remain, and this Saturday’s clash could have a big say in who goes on to lift the famous trophy on Saturday 6 June in Croatia. Marseille are looking to win the title for a second time against a Jadran team, after beating Montenegro’s Herceg Novi in 2019, while Split are aiming to go one better than they did in 1998, when they finished runners-up to Partizan.
2025/26 Euro Cup Men
Final, 1st Leg
Saturday 23 May
(Local time shown)
18:00: CN Marseille (FRA) v VK Jadran Split (CRO)
Last season, Italian giants Pro Recco lay in wait for the teams dropping down from the Champions League and went on to lift the Euro Cup trophy after beating Radnicki 28-21 (16-12 & 12-9) on aggregate in the final.
This year, BVSC attempted to match their achievements, but the last remaining representatives from the Euro Cup group stage eventually fell in the semis to Jadran Split.
The Hungarians went down fighting, though, as after two fiercely contested legs, Jadran’s players left the pool knowing they had been in a real battle.
BVSC pushed them all the way, and it was seven goals from Jerko Marinic Kragic in the second leg that helped the Croatians get over the line in Budapest, sealing a narrow 27-24 (13-12 & 14-12) aggregate victory.
On Saturday, Jadran face another difficult test in the shape of Marseille, who also had to dig deep to reach the gold medal game.
A sensational comeback in the second leg against last season’s runners-up Radnicki saw the French side successfully overturn a three-goal deficit to win 30-28 (14-17 & 16-11) on aggregate.
It was one of the most spectacular results of the season, and the home fans this weekend will be hoping for a repeat performance.
Heading into the clash, history is firmly on Marseille’s side, as Jadran have been beaten by the French giants in each of their last six games, dating back to 2017.
Their most recent fixtures were last season, when they met twice in the quarterfinal group stage of the Champions League, with Marseille winning 11-9 at home and 18-6 away.
“We’re expecting a really hard game against Marseille in the first leg of the final,” Jadran’s Marcus Berehulak told European Aquatics.
“They’re a great opponent, with a lot of outstanding players from all over the globe. It’ll be a really tough match. We respect them a lot and playing in Marseille is always a really hard challenge.
“However, we’ve been training extremely hard and we feel like we’re prepared to take the game on. It’s a best-of-two-legs tie, so it’s good that we will have the second leg back in Split.
“Marseille have had a great second half of the season and they’ve beaten some extremely good teams. It will be a really good challenge for us, but I think we can get the win.”
Jadran coach Jure Marelja echoed Berehulak’s comments and would obviously like nothing more than to add a first Euro Cup trophy to their collection and bring some long-overdue European silverware home.
“This is certainly one of the most important moments in the history of Split sport,” said Marelja. “No team from Split has played a European final in nearly 30 years.
“Of course, we are not satisfied with just reaching the final – personally, I would see it as a failure if we do not win the trophy.
“It will be extremely difficult, but not impossible. Marseille are a team that belongs in the Champions League.
“They showed that in the second half of the season, playing much better after the European Championship break and defeating major opponents.
“They are full of stars – the entire French national team, plus internationals from Montenegro and Hungary. A very strong and respectable opponent.
“Their home atmosphere is extremely difficult to play against, as they showed against Radnicki, but they are not unbeatable.
“Marseille do have weaknesses, and I believe we can exploit them.
“They are incredibly fast and punish every mistake. They have everything a top team needs, but we also have a lot to show. We have prepared well, and this is an opportunity for us to play a very good first match.”
Despite having a much better head-to-head record, Marseille coach Milos Scepanovic refuses to believe his team are the favourites.
“This is a final, so it’s a game in which there is never a real favourite,” he told European Aquatics. “So, the quality and inspiration that both teams can produce in such a game will certainly be the most important things.
“Our preparations have been good and thankfully there have been no new injury concerns. The team that got us to this stage of the competition will be the team to contest the final.
“So, that’s also one very important thing – to be together, to have a good ambience around the squad and to try to impose our style of play.
“We aim to perform the way we played in the last couple of games, with our fans on the poolside also helping to make it a good game for us at home.
“We face a very good and experienced team with players that know how to play this kind of game.
“So, there are no real big words to say before the final. There is no big pressure on the team. We just need to go attack after attack, defence after defence. That’s it.”
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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics
