Budapest’s Danube Arena to host the greatest water polo players of Europe
The Final Six of LEN Champions League will take place in the Danube Arena between 25 and 27 May. Top men’s water polo players fight for victory on the continent in a traditional six-group tournament. The tournament will be the first international event held in the Danube Arena, venue of the swimming and diving events of the 17th FINA World Championships.
Title defender Croatian Jug Dubrovnik, last year’s silver medallist Greek Olympiacos, Italian Pro Recco and AN Brescia, as well as two Hungarian top teams, last year’s bronze medallist Szolnoki Dózsa-Közgép and ZF-Eger will participate in the Final Six this year. The three-day-long event offers high quality game for spectators and fans.
Although the water polo tournament of the 17th FINA World Championships will take place in Hajós Alfréd Swimming Stadium, the atmosphere of the Final Six, the impressions of the Danube Arena will provide a foretaste of what is anticipated during the World Championships in this facility.
The Final Six will feature a number of water polo players playing in the Hungarian, Italian, Serbian, Montenegrin, Croatian, Spanish and Greek national teams at the World Champs, also. This tournament will be an important one concerning preparations for the World Champs. Tamás Märcz, head coach of the Hungarian team, for instance is to decide about the final roster for the World Champs following the Final Six.
At the event’s press conference Tamás Gyárfás, FINA Vice President, Alexander Sostar, LEN Bureau member (conveying the greetings of Paolo Barelli, LEN President, also), Dénes Kemény, President of the Hungarian Water Polo Federation and Marco Birri, Operational Manager of LEN all greeted the organisers from Budapest.
They all agreed that it is a privilege and at the same time a great opportunity that it will be the discipline of water polo which will debut in the central venue of the 17th FINA World Championships.
Organisers expect more than 15-18 thousand visitors during the 3-day Final Six tournament (4 LED screens ensure better visibility). In the course of this programme the official opening ceremony of the Danube Arena will take place at 2.30 p.m. on Saturday.
LEN Champions League Final Six, Danube Arena:
Thursday, 25 May – quarterfinals:
Olympiacos–Jug Dubrovnik, 7 p.m.
ZF-Eger–AN Brescia, 8.30 p.m.
Friday, 26 May – semi-finals
For the 5th place 5.30 p.m.
Olympiacos/Jug Dubrovnik–Pro Recco, 7 p.m.
ZF-Eger/AN Brescia–Szolnoki Dózsa-Közgép, 8.30 p.m.
Saturday, 27 – finals
Bronze medal match, 3.15 p.m.
Final, 4.45 p.m.
Photo: MTI
Source: fina-budapest2017.com
