LEN Women's Champions League

The LEN Women's Champions League, formerly known as LEN European Cup (from 1987 to 1999), LEN Champions Cup (from 1999 to 2013) and LEN Euroleague Women (2014 to 2022), is the premier competition for women's water polo clubs of Europe and takes place every year. It is organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation (LEN) and was created in 1987 as LEN European Cup.

LEN Champions League Women

Current season, competition or edition: 2024–25 LEN Women's Champions League
Sport	Water polo
Founded	1987
President	Gianni Lonzi
Country	LEN members
Continent	Europe
Most recent champion(s)	Astralpool Sabadell (7th title)
Most titles	Orizzonte Catania (8 titles)
Level on pyramid	1st Tier (Europe)
Official website	len.eu

History

Created in 1987 as the women's water polo clubs continental competition, contested amongst the national champions of the European countries, it has been played under the following names:^[1]

• LEN European Cup (1987–1999)
• LEN Champions Cup (1999–2013)
• LEN Euro League Women (2014–2022)
• LEN Champions League Women (since 2023)

Format

Over the years, different formats have been used in the competition, either Round-robin or Knockout or both combined (round-robin at early stages and knockout at final stages). Since the 2007–08 season, the competition has been played in four stages (qualification round, preliminary round, quarter final round and final four).

Title holders

• 1987–88: Donk Gouda
• 1988–89: Donk Gouda
• 1989–90: Nereus
• 1990–91: Donk Gouda
• 1991–92: Brandenburg
• 1992–93: Szentes
• 1993–94: Orizzonte Catania
• 1994–95: Nereus
• 1995–96: Nereus
• 1996–97: SKIF Moscow
• 1997–98: Orizzonte Catania
• 1998–99: SKIF Moscow
• 1999–00: Glyfada
• 2000–01: Orizzonte Catania
• 2001–02: Orizzonte Catania
• 2002–03: Glyfada
• 2003–04: Orizzonte Catania
• 2004–05: Orizzonte Catania
• 2005–06: Orizzonte Catania
• 2006–07: Fiorentina
• 2007–08: Orizzonte Catania
• 2008–09: Vouliagmeni
• 2009–10: Vouliagmeni
• 2010–11: Astralpool Sabadell
• 2011–12: Pro Recco
• 2012–13: Astralpool Sabadell
• 2013–14: Astralpool Sabadell
• 2014–15: Olympiacos
• 2015–16: Astralpool Sabadell
• 2016–17: Kinef Kirishi
• 2017–18: Kinef Kirishi
• 2018–19: Astralpool Sabadell
• 2019–20: Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
• 2020–21: Olympiacos
• 2021–22: Olympiacos
• 2022–23: Astralpool Sabadell
• 2023–24: Astralpool Sabadell

Finals

Year	Finalists				Semi-finalists
	Champion	Score	Runner-up		Third place	Fourth place
1987–88 Details	Donk Gouda	15–10	Dauphins Créteil		Szentes	Volturno
1988–89 Details	Donk Gouda	Round-robin (14–12)	Vasutas		Volturno	SU Neukölln
1989–90 Details	Nereus	21–6 / 11–6	Vasutas		SU Neukölln	Volturno
1990–91 Details	Donk Gouda	8–6	Volturno		SU Neukölln	Szentes
1991–92 Details	Brandenburg	12–8	Uralochka Zlatoust		Vasutas	Dauphins Créteil
1992–93 Details	Szentes	6–5	Orizzonte Catania		Donk Gouda	Uralochka Zlatoust
1993–94 Details	Orizzonte Catania	6–3	Nereus		Vasutas	Vouliagmeni
1994–95 Details	Nereus	7–7 (9–8 a.e.t.)	Orizzonte Catania		Szentes	Nancy
1995–96 Details	Nereus	8–7 (a.e.t.)	SKIF Moscow		Orizzonte Catania	Olympiacos
1996–97 Details	SKIF Moscow	7–6	Nereus		Orizzonte Catania	Mediterrani
1997–98 Details	Orizzonte Catania	7–6 (a.e.t.)	SKIF Moscow		Nereus	Szentes
1998–99 Details	SKIF Moscow	8–6	Donk Gouda		Orizzonte Catania	BEAC
1999–00 Details	Glyfada	7–5	SKIF Moscow		Szentes	Orizzonte Catania
2000–01 Details	Orizzonte Catania	Round-robin (12–6)	Glyfada		Uralochka Zlatoust	Szentes
2001–02 Details	Orizzonte Catania	Round-robin (6–6)	Uralochka Zlatoust		Glyfada	Dunaújváros
2002–03 Details	Glyfada	Round-robin (6–4)	Dunaújváros		Uralochka Zlatoust	Orizzonte Catania
2003–04 Details	Orizzonte Catania	Round-robin (6–4)	Glyfada		Dunaújváros	Vouliagmeni
2004–05 Details	Orizzonte Catania	Round-robin (6–5)	Kinef Kirishi		Dunaújváros	Blau-Weiss Bochum
2005–06 Details	Orizzonte Catania	Round-robin (14–11)	Kinef Kirishi		Dunaújváros	Vouliagmeni
2006–07 Details	Fiorentina	Round-robin (12–10)	Kinef Kirishi		Glyfada	Uralochka Zlatoust
2007–08 Details	Orizzonte Catania	11–11 (14–13 a.e.t.)	Vouliagmeni		Fiorentina	ZVL
2008–09 Details	Vouliagmeni	12–9	Orizzonte Catania		Kinef Kirishi	Honvéd
2009–10 Details	Vouliagmeni	10–7	Kinef Kirishi		Orizzonte Catania	Olympiacos
2010–11 Details	Astralpool Sabadell	13–8	Orizzonte Catania		Olympiacos	Kinef Kirishi
2011–12 Details	Pro Recco	8–7	Vouliagmeni		Kinef Kirishi	Orizzonte Catania
2012–13 Details	Astralpool Sabadell	13–11	Kinef Kirishi		Vouliagmeni	Eger
2013–14 Details	Astralpool Sabadell	19–10	Vouliagmeni		Orizzonte Catania	Imperia
2014–15 Details	Olympiacos	10–9	Astralpool Sabadell		Kinef Kirishi	UVSE Budapest
2015–16 Details	Astralpool Sabadell	11–8	UVSE Budapest		Kinef Kirishi	Olympiacos
2016–17 Details[2]	Kinef Kirishi	7–6	Olympiacos		Astralpool Sabadell	Mataró
2017–18 Details[3]	Kinef Kirishi	8–8 (5–4 p.s.o.)	Astralpool Sabadell		Ekipe Orizzonte	UVSE Budapest
2018–19 Details	Astralpool Sabadell	13–11	Olympiacos		Vouliagmeni	Plebiscito Padova
2019–20 Details	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
2020–21 Details	Olympiacos	7–6	Dunaújváros		UVSE Hunguest Hotel	Uralochka Zlatoust
2021–22 Details	Olympiacos	11–7	Astralpool Sabadell		Plebiscito Padova	UVSE Hunguest Hotel
2022–23 Details	Astralpool Sabadell	9–8	Assolim Mataró	Ekipe Orizzonte	Dunaújváros
2023–24 Details	Astralpool Sabadell	16–10	Olympiacos		Sant Andreu	Assolim Mataró

Source: LEN (from 1987 to 2016).^[4]

Titles by club

Rank	Club	Titles	Runner-up	Champion Years
1.	Orizzonte Catania	8	4	1993–94, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08
2.	Sabadell	7	3	2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2022–23, 2023–24
3.	Olympiacos	3	3	2014–15, 2020–21, 2021–22
4.	Nereus	3	2	1989–90, 1994–95, 1995–96
5.	Donk Gouda	3	1	1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91
6.	Kinef Kirishi	2	5	2016–17, 2017–18
7.	SKIF Moscow	2	3	1996–97, 1998–99
	Vouliagmeni	2	3	2008–09, 2009–10
9.	Glyfada	2	2	1999–00, 2002–03
10.	Brandenburg	1		1991–92
	Szentes	1		1992–93
	Fiorentina	1		2006–07
	Pro Recco	1		2011–12
14.	Uralochka Zlatoust		2
	Dunaújváros		2
	Vasutas		2
17.	Dauphins Créteil		1
	UVSE		1
	Assolim Mataró		1
	Volturno		1

Titles by nation

Rank	Country	Titles	Runners-up
1.	Italy	10	5
2.	Greece	7	8
3.	Spain	7	4
4.	Netherlands	7	3
5.	Russia	4	10
6.	Hungary	1	5
7.	France		1

Most Titles

Incomplete list.

Players

bold - active players

Player	Titles	Clubs
		#	List
Silvia Bosurgi	7	1	Orizzonte Catania 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
Tania Di Mario	7	1	Orizzonte Catania 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
Laura Ester	7	1	Sabadell 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2023, 2024
Maica García Godoy	7	1	Sabadell 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2023, 2024
Matilde Ortiz	7	1	Sabadell 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2023, 2024
Maddalena Musumeci	6	1	Orizzonte Catania 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008
Chiara Brancati	6	1	Orizzonte Catania 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
Giusi Malato	6	1	Orizzonte Catania 1994, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005
Francesca Cristiana Conti	5	1	Orizzonte Catania 1994, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004
Cinzia Ragusa	5	1	Orizzonte Catania 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008
Anni Espar	5	1	Sabadell 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019
Olga Doménech	5	1	Sabadell 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019
María del Pilar Peña	4	1	Sabadell 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016
Jennifer Pareja	4	1	Sabadell 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016

Notes: Maddalena Musumeci played her whole career for Orizzonte Catania but was inactive in 2005.

Coaches

Coach	Titles	Clubs
		#	List
Mauro Maugeri	6	1	Orizzonte Catania 1994, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
Ignasi Guiu	3or4	1	Sabadell 2011(?), 2013, 2014, 2016
David Palma Lopera	3	1	Sabadell 2019, 2023, 2024

See also

• LEN Champions League
• LEN Euro Cup
• LEN Challenger Cup
• LEN Super Cup
• LEN Women's Euro Cup
• LEN Women's Challenger Cup
• LEN Women's Super Cup

References

1. "Euro League Women - Book of Champions 2017" (PDF). LEN. p. 47 (section 3.1 'Competition names'). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-12-30. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
2. "Euro League, Kirishi clinches the trophy on its 11th try". LEN. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
3. "Kirishi retains title after shootout". LEN. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
4. "Euro League Women - Book of Champions 2017" (PDF). LEN. pp. 3-48 ('Summary of LEN European Cup Results'). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2018.