Derby for European glory amid "disrespect"

BarcelonaThere will be a Catalan derby in the final of the women's water polo Champions League. Astralpool CN Sabadell and CN Sant Andreu will face each other at the Petros Kapagerov swimming pool in Piraeus, the venue for the final four. The Vallecas team got the job done first, defeating the hosts, Olympiakos (13-15), while the Barcelona team prevailed over Ferencváros (10-7). It will be the first time that Sant Andreu will play in the match for the top European club title, quite the opposite for Sabadell, the reigning champions and vying for an eighth crown.

The ambition of the Sabadell team has overcome the pressure from the Greek public. CN Sabadell had asked European Aquatics to host the finals, but the federation chose the Olympiacos pool instead. The pool is always packed at these events with the cheerleading teams that usually attend the men's football and basketball matches, creating an atmosphere not usually seen at a women's water polo competition.

It was a very close match that wasn't resolved until there were a couple of minutes left. The Vallès team started well with a 3-1 lead that the Piraeus team managed to equal. In fact, for many minutes the Greek players held the lead, but never by more than a goal. Sabadell's advantage returned in the final quarter. The effectiveness of Van de Kraats (5 goals), Bea Ortiz (3), and Steffens (3) was key to reaching the grand final and aspiring to equal Orizzonte Catania's eight titles, the team with the most in women's competition. The Sicilians are also the only team to have won the Champions League three times in a row, which could also equal the team coached by David Palma.

Sabadell's experience contrasted with that of Sant Andreu, who were barely playing their second season. final four. But the Barcelona team was facing an opponent, Hungarian side Ferencváros, who were making their debut in this competition. The match started with a perfect script for Sant Andreu, who were already winning 4-1 in the first quarter. It was supposed to be a cakewalk, but their offensive projection stalled and the Hungarians narrowed the gap and had a chance in the final quarter, trailing by just two. When it came down to it, Catalan ambition prevailed and Queralt Anton, with four goals, led the team to a final they face with sky-high morale: they have faced and won in the last two editions of the Copa de la Reina.

CN Sabadell, on the warpath

The final arrives with CN Sabadell, the continental dominator of the last decade, on the warpath against European Aquatics. The federation announced an agreement with Wood Nest Sports to become the official sponsor of club competitions starting next season, which includes an increase in the prize money for the winners of continental competitions. The winner of the men's Champions League will receive €125,000, while the winner of the women's championship will receive six times less, €20,000.

"We want to express our strongest disagreement with the economic distribution that Euroaquatics has proposed, in a regrettably incomprehensible manner, for the men's and women's Champions League competitions. [...] It is a lack of respect for the players and the clubs that, like us, have been committed to women's sport for years," and "we deport." "It's very sad. It's difficult for women to grow in water polo like this. We are more united than ever to fight for what we have earned," says Bea Ortiz, awarded as the best water polo player in the world. CN Sant Andreu has preferred not to make any statement on the matter.

This will be the last Champions League final for Mati Ortiz, the Sabadell native's dozen. "I don't usually get nervous, but I am a little now. It's not a final four Furthermore, we can equal Orizzonte and I see the team with a lot of desire," says the captain of the Vallesans.