With two matches in Banja Luka on Thursday, the 2017-2018 season of the Champions League kicks off in the pool. The first round of the qualifications is due on this weekend, already featuring a couple great teams.

The following days will be busy and exciting for eleven entrants of the Champions League as the first round of the qualifications is due this weekend – however, since Group A features five teams, the first games are to be played on Thursday, the opening encounter features Banja Luka (BIH) and Sintez Kazan (RUS).

Water polo fans in Banja Luka, Strasbourg (FRA) and Tel Aviv (ISR) can already watch a couple of great sides which produced outstanding results in recent years. Hungary’s OSC Budapest, former winner of the trophy, played in the main round in the last two seasons and always targets to advance to the finals, just as this year.

Sintez was Euro Cup finalist in 2016 (clinched that trophy in 2007), while Jadran Herceg Novi (MNE) made the semis last spring, and reached the preliminary round in the previous season in the Champions League. Mornar Split (CRO) was semi-finalist in the Euro Cup in 2015 and 2016, while Canottieri Napoli also has a rich history at the European stage with a 1978 triumph topping the results list (that time the competition was called Champions Cup).

The top two ranked sides of each group shall advance to the following round. All matches can be followed on our live-scoring page, just visit www.len.eu

Champions League, Qualification, Round I

Group A (Banja Luka)

OSC Budapest (HUN), CN Terrassa (ESP), Sintez Kazan (RUS), VK Banja Luka (BIH), CF Portuense (POR)

Group B (Strasbourg)

Canottieri Napoli (ITA), Strasbourg ASPTT (FRA), ENKA Istanbul (TUR), Jadran Herceg Novi (MNE)

Group C (Tel Aviv)

Mornar Split (CRO), ANK Glyfada (GRE), Galatasaray Istanbul (TUR), ASA Tel-Aviv (ISR)

13 September 2017