The European Aquatics Women's Champions League, formerly known as LEN European Cup (from 1987 to 1999), LEN Champions Cup (from 1999 to 2013), LEN Euroleague Women (2014 to 2022) and LEN Women's Champions League (from 2023 to 2024) is the premier competition for women's
water polo
Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...
clubs of
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and takes place every year. It is organized by the
Ligue Européenne de Natation
European Aquatics (formerly , , popularly known by its acronym LEN) is the European governing body for aquatic sports affiliated to World Aquatics — it is the Continental Association for Europe. It was formally organized in 1927 in Bologna, ...
(LEN) and was created in 1987 as . From 2024, after LEN was renamed to
European Aquatics, the new name is the European Aquatics Women's Champions League.
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:
* LEN European Cup (1987–1999)
* LEN Champions Cup (1999–2013)
* LEN Euro League Women (2014–2022)
* LEN Champions League Women (2022–2023)
*European Aquatics Women's Champions League (since 2024)
Format
Over the years, different formats have been used in the competition, either
Round-robin or
Knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...
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
In Greek mythology, Nereus ( ; ) was the eldest son of Pontus (the Sea) and Gaia ( the Earth), with Pontus himself being a son of Gaia. Nereus and Doris became the parents of 50 daughters (the Nereids) and a son ( Nerites), with whom Nereus ...
* 1990–91:
Donk Gouda
* 1991–92:
Brandenburg
Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...
* 1992–93:
Szentes
Szentes () is a town in south-eastern Hungary, Csongrád-Csanád County, Csongrád county, near the Tisza, Tisza river. The town is a cultural and educational center of the region. It is the third most populous town in Csongrád-Csanád County, Cso ...
* 1993–94:
Orizzonte Catania
Associazione Sportiva Orizzonte Catania Waterpolo, also known as Ekipe Orizzonte for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional women's water polo club from Catania.
Founded in 1985, Orizzonte has dominated the Italian championship in the ...
* 1994–95:
Nereus
In Greek mythology, Nereus ( ; ) was the eldest son of Pontus (the Sea) and Gaia ( the Earth), with Pontus himself being a son of Gaia. Nereus and Doris became the parents of 50 daughters (the Nereids) and a son ( Nerites), with whom Nereus ...
* 1995–96:
Nereus
In Greek mythology, Nereus ( ; ) was the eldest son of Pontus (the Sea) and Gaia ( the Earth), with Pontus himself being a son of Gaia. Nereus and Doris became the parents of 50 daughters (the Nereids) and a son ( Nerites), with whom Nereus ...
* 1996–97:
SKIF Moscow
* 1997–98:
Orizzonte Catania
Associazione Sportiva Orizzonte Catania Waterpolo, also known as Ekipe Orizzonte for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional women's water polo club from Catania.
Founded in 1985, Orizzonte has dominated the Italian championship in the ...
* 1998–99:
SKIF Moscow
* 1999–00:
Glyfada
Glyfada (, ) is a town and a suburb in the South Athens regional unit located in the Athens Riviera along the coast of Saronic Gulf. It is situated in the southern parts of the Athens#Athens Urban Area, Athens urban area. The area stretches from ...
* 2000–01:
Orizzonte Catania
Associazione Sportiva Orizzonte Catania Waterpolo, also known as Ekipe Orizzonte for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional women's water polo club from Catania.
Founded in 1985, Orizzonte has dominated the Italian championship in the ...
* 2001–02:
Orizzonte Catania
Associazione Sportiva Orizzonte Catania Waterpolo, also known as Ekipe Orizzonte for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional women's water polo club from Catania.
Founded in 1985, Orizzonte has dominated the Italian championship in the ...
* 2002–03:
Glyfada
Glyfada (, ) is a town and a suburb in the South Athens regional unit located in the Athens Riviera along the coast of Saronic Gulf. It is situated in the southern parts of the Athens#Athens Urban Area, Athens urban area. The area stretches from ...
* 2003–04:
Orizzonte Catania
Associazione Sportiva Orizzonte Catania Waterpolo, also known as Ekipe Orizzonte for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional women's water polo club from Catania.
Founded in 1985, Orizzonte has dominated the Italian championship in the ...
* 2004–05:
Orizzonte Catania
Associazione Sportiva Orizzonte Catania Waterpolo, also known as Ekipe Orizzonte for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional women's water polo club from Catania.
Founded in 1985, Orizzonte has dominated the Italian championship in the ...
* 2005–06:
Orizzonte Catania
Associazione Sportiva Orizzonte Catania Waterpolo, also known as Ekipe Orizzonte for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional women's water polo club from Catania.
Founded in 1985, Orizzonte has dominated the Italian championship in the ...
* 2006–07:
Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Florence, Tuscany. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while ...
* 2007–08:
Orizzonte Catania
Associazione Sportiva Orizzonte Catania Waterpolo, also known as Ekipe Orizzonte for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional women's water polo club from Catania.
Founded in 1985, Orizzonte has dominated the Italian championship in the ...
* 2008–09:
Vouliagmeni
Vouliagmeni (, meaning "sunken") is a seaside suburb and former municipality 20 km south of Athens city centre. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni, of which it is a municipal unit. The ...
* 2009–10:
Vouliagmeni
Vouliagmeni (, meaning "sunken") is a seaside suburb and former municipality 20 km south of Athens city centre. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni, of which it is a municipal unit. The ...
* 2010–11:
Astralpool Sabadell
* 2011–12:
Pro Recco
A.S.D. Pro Recco (Official name: Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Pro Recco) is an Italian professional water polo club from Recco, in Liguria. It currently plays in Serie A1.
Pro Recco is the most successful club in men's water polo. In m ...
* 2012–13:
Astralpool Sabadell
* 2013–14:
Astralpool Sabadell
* 2014–15:
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós (, Olympic Association of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number of different competitive departments which participate in football, ...
* 2015–16:
Astralpool Sabadell
* 2016–17:
Kinef Kirishi
Kinef-Surgutneftegaz () is a Russian professional men's and women's water polo club from Kirishi owned by Kinef and Surgutneftegaz
Surgutneftegas ( rus, ПАО «Сургутнефтегаз», p=sʊrɡʊtnʲɪftʲɪˈɡas) is a Russian oil a ...
* 2017–18:
Kinef Kirishi
Kinef-Surgutneftegaz () is a Russian professional men's and women's water polo club from Kirishi owned by Kinef and Surgutneftegaz
Surgutneftegas ( rus, ПАО «Сургутнефтегаз», p=sʊrɡʊtnʲɪftʲɪˈɡas) is a Russian oil a ...
* 2018–19:
Astralpool Sabadell
* 2019–20: ''Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic''
* 2020–21:
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós (, Olympic Association of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number of different competitive departments which participate in football, ...
* 2021–22:
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós (, Olympic Association of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number of different competitive departments which participate in football, ...
* 2022–23:
Astralpool Sabadell
* 2023–24:
Astralpool Sabadell
* 2024–25:
Sant Andreu
Sant Andreu () is one of the ten districts of Barcelona since its redistricting in 1984. It was named after the former municipality of Sant Andreu de Palomar, which was the largest in the area and now makes up the bulk of the neighbourhood beari ...
Finals
Source:
LEN
European Aquatics (formerly , , popularly known by its acronym LEN) is the European governing body for aquatic sports affiliated to World Aquatics — it is the Continental Association for Europe. It was formally organized in 1927 in Bologna, a ...
(from 1987 to 2016).
Titles by club
Titles by nation
Most Titles
''Incomplete list.''
Players
bold - active players
''Notes: Maddalena Musumeci played her whole career for Orizzonte Catania but was inactive in 2005''.
Coaches
See also
Men
*
European Aquatics Champions League
The European Aquatics Champions League is the top-tier European professional water polo club competition with teams from up to 18 countries. It is organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation.
The competition started in 1963 as European Cup. A ...
*
European Aquatics Euro Cup
*
European Aquatics Conference Cup
*
European Aquatics Challenger Cup
*
European Aquatics Super Cup
Women
*
European Aquatics Women's Euro Cup
*
European Aquatics Women's Conference Cup
*
European Aquatics Women's Challenger Cup
The European Aquatics Women's Challenger Cup, formerly the LEN Women's Challenger Cup is a water polo club competition organised by the Ligue Européenne de Natation (LEN). It acts as the third tier, below the LEN Women's Champions League and th ...
*
European Aquatics Women's Super Cup
The European Aquatics Women's Super Cup is an annual water polo match organized by the LEN and contested by the reigning champions of the two European club competitions, the Euro League and the LEN Trophy.
From 2024, after LEN was renamed to E ...
References
{{European Club Competitions
Recurring sporting events established in 1987
Women
A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl.
Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional u ...
Women's water polo competitions
Multi-national professional sports leagues