The 2012–13 LEN Champions League was the 50th edition of LEN's premier competition for men's water polo clubs. It ran from 14 September 2012 to 1 June 2013, and it was contested by thirty teams from eighteen countries. There was no defending champion as Pro Recco renounced to the competition for disagreements with the FIN on the number of allowed foreign players in the Italian clubs' squads.[1] Runner-up Primorje Rijeka, former champions Mladost Zagreb and Vasas Budapest, Italy's CN Posillipo and any team from Montenegro also declined to take part in the competition.[2] The Final Four (semifinals, final, and third place game) took place on May 31 and June 1 in Belgrade.
| 2012–13 LEN Champions League | |
|---|---|
| League | LEN Champions League |
| Sport | Water Polo |
| Duration | 14 September 2012 to 1 June 2013 |
| Number of teams | 22 (preliminary round) 26 (total) |
| Top scorer |  Felipe Perrone 31 goals (Atlètic-Barceloneta) |
| Final Four | |
| Finals champions |  Crvena zvezda (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Jug Dubrovnik |
| Finals MVP | Andrija Prlainovic (Crvena Zvezda) |
The final was played in front of 4,000 fans.[3]
Qualification round edit
| Key to colors in group tables |
|---|
| Progress to the preliminary round |
Group A (Tbilisi) edit
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ligamus Tbilisi
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 21 | +23 | 9 |
 Vitbich
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 28 | −7 | 6 |
| Sabadell
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 24 | +5 | 3 |
 Arkonia Szkzecin
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 36 | −21 | 0 |
Source: [citation needed]
| Matchday One | |||
| Sabadell | 6 – 7 | Vitbich | |
| Ligamus Tbilisi | 16 – 4 | Arkonia Szkzecin | |
| Matchday Two | |||
| Arkonia Szkzecin | 6 – 8 | Vitbich | |
| Ligamus Tbilisi | 12 – 11 | Sabadell | |
| Matchday Three | |||
| Sabadell | 12 – 5 | Arkonia Szkzecin | |
| Ligamus Tbilisi | 16 – 6 | Vitbich |
Group B (Kreuzlingen) edit
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Marseille
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 15 | +54 | 9 |
 Kreuzlingen
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 39 | +4 | 6 |
 Slagelse
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 34 | 40 | −6 | 3 |
 Jarfällä
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 69 | −52 | 0 |
Source: [citation needed]
| Matchday One | |||
| Jarfällä | 1 – 29 | Marseille | |
| Kreuzlingen | 12 – 11 | Slagelse | |
| Matchday Two | |||
| Marseille | 21 – 6 | Slagelse | |
| Kreuzlingen | 23 – 9 | Jarfällä | |
| Matchday Three | |||
| Jarfällä | 7 – 17 | Slagelse | |
| Kreuzlingen | 8 – 19 | Marseille |
Preliminary round edit
Volgograd
Barceloneta
Schuurman
Brescia
Szeged
Montpellier
Oradea
Marseille
Kreuzlingen
Hannover
Tbilisi
Location of teams of the 2012–13 LEN Champions League group stage.
Red: Group A; 
Green: Group B; 
Blue: Group C; 
Yellow: Group D.
Red: Group A; 
Green: Group B; 
Blue: Group C; 
Yellow: Group D.Group A edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Vouliagmeni
|
10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 128 | 55 | +73 | 24 |
| 2 |  Spartak Volgograd
|
10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 108 | 65 | +43 | 24 |
| 3 |  Eger
|
10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 131 | 64 | +67 | 24 |
| 4 |  Schuurman
|
10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 65 | 108 | −43 | 12 |
| 5 |  Waspo'98 Hannover
|
10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 44 | 109 | −65 | 4 |
| 6 | Ligamus Tbilisi
|
10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 58 | 133 | −75 | 1 |
Source: [citation needed]
| Matchday One – 26 September 2012 | ||
| Vouliagmeni | 11 – 6 | Spartak Volgograd |
| Schuurman | 6 – 5 | Waspo'98 Hannover |
| 15 January 2013 | ||
| Eger | 27 – 5 | Ligamus Tbilisi |
| Matchday Two – 6 October 2012 | ||
| Spartak Volgograd | 10 – 7 | Eger |
| Waspo'98 Hannover | 4–18 | Vouliagmeni |
| Schuurman | 13–10 | Ligamus Tbilisi |
| Matchday Three – 20 October 2012 | ||
| Eger | 16 – 5 | Waspo'98 Hannover |
| Vouliagmeni | 12 – 4 | Schuurman |
| Ligamus Tbilisi | 8 – 15 | Spartak Volgograd |
| Matchday Four – 14 November 2012 | ||
| Vouliagmeni | 11 – 8 | Eger |
| Schuurman | 5 – 14 | Spartak Volgograd |
| Waspo'98 Hannover | 7 – 5 | Ligamus Tbilisi |
| Matchday Five – 28 November 2012 | ||
| Ligamus Tbilisi | 5 – 15 | Vouliagmeni |
| Eger | 13 – 4 | Schuurman |
| Spartak Volgograd | 12 – 4 | Waspo'98 Hannover |
| Matchday Six – 19 December 2012 | ||
| Vouliagmeni | 16 – 2 | Ligamus Tbilisi |
| Schuurman | 6 – 17 | Eger |
| Waspo'98 Hannover | 2 – 12 | Spartak Volgograd |
| Matchday Seven – 9 January 2013 | ||
| Eger | 10–9 | Vouliagmeni |
| Ligamus Tbilisi | 6–6 | Hannover |
| Spartak Volgograd | 12–7 | Schuurman |
| Matchday Eight – 23 January 2013 | ||
| Spartak Volgograd | 12–6 | Ligamus Tbilisi |
| Hannover | 4–13 | Eger |
| Schuurman | 3–15 | Vouliagmeni |
| Matchday Nine – 6 February 2013 | ||
| Eger | 8–6 | Spartak Volgograd |
| Vouliagmeni | 14–4 | Hannover |
| Ligamus Tbilisi | 7–10 | Schuurman |
| Matchday Ten – 27 February 2013 | ||
| Spartak Volgograd | 9–7 | Vouliagmeni |
| Ligamus Tbilisi | 4–12 | Eger |
| Hannover | 3–7 | Schuurman |
Group B edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jug Dubrovnik
|
8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 129 | 40 | +89 | 24 |
| 2 | Crvena Zvezda
|
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 106 | 73 | +33 | 15 |
| 3 | Olympiacos
|
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 105 | 64 | +41 | 15 |
| 4 | Montpellier
|
8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 65 | 100 | −35 | 6 |
| 5 | Kreuzlingen
|
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 58 | 186 | −128 | 0 |
Source: [citation needed]
| Matchday One – 26 September 2012 | ||
| Olympiacos | 15 – 5 | Kreuzlingen |
| Red Star Belgrade | 6 – 10 | Jug Dubrovnik |
| Matchday Two – 6 October 2012 | ||
| Red Star Belgrade | 26 – 7 | Kreuzlingen |
| Montpellier | 7 – 11 | Olympiacos |
| Matchday Three – 20 October 2012 | ||
| Jug Dubrovnik | 29 – 7 | Kreuzlingen |
| Red Star Belgrade | 10 – 8 | Montpellier |
| Matchday Four – 13 November 2012 | ||
| Olympiakos | 9 – 8 | Red Star Belgrade |
| Montpellier | 2 – 14 | Jug Dubrovnik |
| Matchday Five – 28 November 2012 | ||
| Jug Dubrovnik | 10 – 8 | Olympiakos |
| Montpellier | 15 – 8 | Kreuzlingen |
| Matchday Six – 19 December 2012 | ||
| Olympiakos | 2 – 9 | Jug Dubrovnik |
| Kreuzlingen | 6 – 14 | Montpellier |
| Matchday Seven – 9 January 2013 | ||
| Red Star Belgrade | 11– 9 | Olympiakos |
| Jug Dubrovnik | 17–5 | Montpellier |
| Matchday Eight – 23 January 2013 | ||
| Montpellier | 8–16 | Red Star Belgrade |
| Kreuzlingen | 5–30 | Jug Dubrovnik |
| Matchday Nine – 6 February 2013 | ||
| Olympiakos | 18–6 | Montpellier |
| Kreuzlingen | 12–24 | Red Star Belgrade |
| Matchday Ten – 27 February 2013 | ||
| Jug Dubrovnik | 10–5 | Red Star Belgrade |
| Kreuzlingen | 8–33 | Olympiakos |
Group C edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barceloneta
|
8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 74 | 51 | +23 | 18 |
| 2 | Sintez Kazan
|
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 75 | 70 | +5 | 13 |
| 3 |  Brescia
|
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 72 | 71 | +1 | 12 |
| 4 | Marseille
|
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 72 | 84 | −12 | 9 |
| 5 | Vojvodina
|
8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 58 | 75 | −17 | 7 |
Source: [citation needed]
| Matchday One – 26 September 2012 | ||
| Atlètic Barceloneta | 10 – 7 | Sintez Kazan |
| Brescia | 13 – 9 | Vojvodina |
| Matchday Two – 6 October 2012 | ||
| Vojvodina | 4 – 9 | Atlètic Barceloneta |
| Marseille | 9 – 7 | Brescia |
| Matchday Three – 20 October 2012 | ||
| Atlètic Barceloneta | 15 – 4 | Marseille |
| Sintez Kazan | 9 – 10 | Vojvodina |
| Matchday Four – 14 November 2012 | ||
| Brescia | 5 – 7 | Atlètic Barceloneta |
| Marseille | 8 – 13 | Sintez Kazan |
| Matchday Five – 28 November 2012 | ||
| Sintez Kazan | 9 – 4 | Brescia |
| Marseille | 13 – 7 | Vojvodina |
| Matchday Six – 19 December 2012 | ||
| Brescia | 16 – 12 | Sintez Kazan |
| Vojvodina | 10 – 9 | Marseille |
| Matchday Seven – 9 January 2013 | ||
| Sintez Kazan | 11–9 | Marseille |
| Atlètic Barceloneta | 9–7 | Brescia |
| Matchday Eight – 23 January 2013 | ||
| Marseille | 11–10 | Atlètic Barceloneta |
| Vojvodina | 6–6 | Sintez Kazan |
| Matchday Nine – 6 February 2013 | ||
| Brescia | 11–9 | Marseille |
| Atlètic Barceloneta | 7–5 | Vojvodina |
| Matchday Ten – 27 February 2013 | ||
| Vojvodina | 7–9 | Brescia |
| Sintez Kazan | 8–7 | Atlètic Barceloneta |
Group D edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Szeged
|
8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 81 | 56 | +25 | 21 |
| 2 | Partizan Belgrade
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 66 | 52 | +14 | 16 |
| 3 |  Galatasaray
|
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 61 | 60 | +1 | 13 |
| 4 |  Oradea
|
8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 70 | 85 | −15 | 6 |
| 5 | Spandau 04
|
8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 60 | 85 | −25 | 3 |
Source: [citation needed]
| Matchday One – 26 September 2012 | ||
| Szeged | 8 – 5 | Spandau 04 |
| Partizan Belgrade | 5 – 5 | Galatasaray |
| Matchday Two – 6 October 2012 | ||
| Oradea | 9 – 14 | Szeged |
| Spandau 04 | 10 – 13 | Partizan Belgrade |
| Matchday Three – 20 October 2012 | ||
| Partizan Belgrade | 8 – 7 | Oradea |
| Galatasaray | 10 – 7 | Spandau 04 |
| Matchday Four – 14 November 2012 | ||
| Szeged | 8 – 7 | Partizan Belgrade |
| Oradea | 11 – 8 | Galatasaray |
| Matchday Five – 28 November 2012 | ||
| Spandau 04 | 15 – 13 | Oradea |
| Galatasaray | 4 – 6 | Szeged |
| Matchday Six – 18 December 2012 | ||
| Szeged | 11 – 8 | Galatasaray |
| Oradea | 11 – 7 | Spandau 04 |
| Matchday Seven – 9 January 2013 | ||
| Partizan Belgrade | 8–6 | Szeged |
| Galatasaray | 6–5 | Oradea |
| Matchday Eight – 23 January 2013 | ||
| Spandau 04 | 8–11 | Galatasaray |
| Oradea | 6–10 | Partizan Belgrade |
| Matchday Nine – 6 February 2013 | ||
| Szeged | 17–8 | Oradea |
| Partizan Belgrade | 8–1 | Spandau 04 |
| Matchday Ten – 27 February 2013 | ||
| Spandau 04 | 7–11 | Szeged |
| Galatasaray | 9–7 | Partizan Belgrade |
Top 16 edit
The draw was held on 28 February 2013 in Rome, Italy. The first legs were played on 9–10 March, and the second legs were played on 20–21 March 2013.[4]
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crvena Zvezda
|
21–14 | Eger
|
13–6 | 8–8 |
| Montpellier
|
13–27 | Szeged
|
6–9 | 7–18 |
| Vouliagmeni
|
26–25 | Marseille
|
16–12 | 10–13 |
| Olympiacos
|
19–21 | Spartak Volgograd
|
9–8 | 10–13 |
| Atlètic-Barceloneta
|
27–13 | Oradea
|
15–5 | 12–8 |
| Schuurman
|
8–36 | Jug
|
1–19 | 7–17 |
| Partizan
|
16–11 | Brescia
|
9–5 | 7–6 |
| Galatasaray
|
20–17 | Sintez Kazan
|
9–6 | 11–11 |
Quarterfinals edit
The draw was held on 25 March 2013 in Rome, Italy. The first legs were played on 17 April, and the second legs were played on 30 April and 1 May 2013.[5]
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galatasaray
|
8–30 | Jug
|
5–12 | 3–18 |
| Vouliagmeni
|
13–24 | Atlètic-Barceloneta
|
3–8 | 10–16 |
| Szeged
|
16–17 | Crvena Zvezda
|
5–7 | 11–10 |
| Partizan
|
16–11 | Spartak Volgograd
|
11–6 | 5–5 |
Final Four (Belgrade) edit
Tašmajdan Sports Center, Belgrade, Serbia
| Semifinals 31 May 2013 | Final 1 June 2013 | |||||
| Partizan | 7 | |||||
| Jug Dubrovnik | 8 | |||||
| Jug Dubrovnik | 7 | |||||
| Crvena zvezda | 8 | |||||
| Crvena zvezda | 9 | |||||
| Atlètic-Barceloneta | 5 | |||||
| Third place | ||||||
| Partizan | 10 | |||||
| Atlètic-Barceloneta | 11 | |||||
Semi-finals
| 31 May 17:00 |
[ Report] | Partizan
|
7–8 | Jug Dubrovnik
|
Tašmajdan Sports Center, Belgrade Referees: Alexandrescu, Caputi |
| Score by quarters: 1–2, 1–2, 3–2, 2–2 | |||||
| Mandić 2 | Goals | Bošković, Janović 2 | |||
| 31 May 20:15 |
[ Report] | Crvena zvezda
|
9–5 | Atlètic-Barceloneta
|
Tašmajdan Sports Center, Belgrade Referees: Koganov, Margeta |
| Score by quarters: 2–2, 2–0, 3–3, 2–0 | |||||
| Rašović 3 | Goals | Vrlić, Alferez 2 | |||
Third place
| 1 June 2013 17:00 |
[ Report] | Partizan
|
10–11 | Atlètic-Barceloneta
|
Tašmajdan Sports Center, Belgrade Referees: Koganov, Margeta |
| Score by quarters: 2–4, 2–3, 3–2, 3–2 | |||||
| four players 2 | Goals | Vrlić 4 | |||
Final
| 1 June 2013 20:15 |
[ Report] | Jug Dubrovnik
|
7–8 | Crvena zvezda
|
Tašmajdan Sports Center, Belgrade Referees: Stavridis, Caputi |
| Score by quarters: 2–2, 1–1, 3–3, 1–2 | |||||
| Janović 3 | Goals | Pijetlović 2 | |||
| 2012–13 Champions League champions |
|---|
| Crvena zvezda 1st title |
| Denis Šefik, Strahinja Rašović, Nikola Rađen, Petar Ivošević, Mihajlo Milićević, Duško Pijetlović, Marko Avramović, Viktor Rašović, Sava Ranđelović, Boris Vapenski, Andrija Prlainović, Nikola Eškert, Marko Draksimović, Nenad Stojčić |
| Head coach |
| Dejan Savić |
Final standings edit
| Team | |
|---|---|
 |
Crvena zvezda
|
 |
Jug Dubrovnik
|
 |
Atlètic-Barceloneta
|
| Partizan
|
Awards edit
| Top Scorer | Final four MVP |
|---|---|
| Felipe Perrone(CN Atlètic-Barceloneta) 42 goals
|
Andrija Prlainovic(Crvena Zvezda)
|
References edit
- ^ Pro Recco withdraws from European club competitions participation. Archived 2015-05-31 at the Wayback Machine Waterpoloworld.com, 18/07/12
- ^ Champions League 2012-2013: draw for the Preliminaries. Archived 2012-10-16 at the Wayback Machine LEN.eu
- ^ Belgrade to host the LEN Champions League Water Polo Final Eight in 2021-2023 Boxscorenews.com, 16 April 2021. Accessed 20 April 2021.
- ^ "Champions League round of last sixteen draw". waterpoloworld.com. 2013-02-28. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
- ^ "Spartak, Galatasaray qualify for quarter-finals". waterpoloworld.com. 2013-03-21. Archived from the original on 2015-05-31. Retrieved 2013-04-06.