2023–24 LEN Challenger Cup
The 2023–24 LEN Challenger Cup was the 2nd edition of a water polo competition organised by the Ligue Européenne de Natation (LEN). It acts as the third tier, below the LEN Champions League and the LEN Euro Cup. The reigning champions are GS Apollon Smyrnis, but they won't defend their title due to their involvement in this season's Champions League and Euro Cup.
| 2023–24 LEN Challenger Cup | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | LEN Challenger Cup |
| Sport | Water polo |
| Duration | 19 October 2023 – 27 April 2024 |
| Number of games | 50 |
| Number of teams | 19 |
Format
This is the first season under the new changes made by LEN.[1] 19 teams are grouped into 4 pools, three with five clubs, and one with four clubs. The pools are held by one of the clubs. The top 2 from every pool advances to the quarter-finals, followed by semi-finals and finals.
Rankings
Only teams below the top 12 can enter the competition.
|
|
| Rank[2] | Association | Points | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| NR | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Belgium |
0 | 1 |
| NR |  Bulgaria |
0 | |
| NR |  Cyprus |
0 | 1 |
| NR |  Finland |
0 | |
| NR |  Great Britain |
0 | 2 |
Teams
The team were announced on 8 September 2023.[3] Starting this season, no countries ranked in the top 12 of the LEN men's club rankings can take part in this tournament.
| Royal Dauphins Mouscronnois |
 VK Banja Luka |
KVT Komodor |
APOEL Nicosia |
| Cetus Espoo |
Polytechnic Water Polo Club |
City Of Manchester Water Polo Club |
 EVK Zaibas |
 Valletta[lower-alpha 1] |
 Vitoria Sport Clube |
Clube Fluvial Portuense |
Sporting Clube De Portugal |
 KVP Novaky |
 Triglav Kranj |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} SC Kreuzlingen |
Carouge Natation |
 Galatasaray |
ODTU Sport Club |
Enka Istanbul |
- Valletta is actually the Maltese national team, but is playing under the name Valletta.[4]
Schedule
Rounds and dates
| Phase | Round | Round date |
|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | Group stage | 19–22 October 2023 |
| Quarter-finals | First Leg | 25 November 2023 |
| Second Leg | 9 December 2023 | |
| Semi-finals | First leg | 9 March 2024 |
| Second leg | 23 March 2024 | |
| Final | First Leg | 6 April 2024 |
| Second Leg | 27 April 2024 |
Group stage
Draw
The draw was on 11 September 2023. H indicates which club is hosting the groups.[5][6][7] Teams in bold advanced to the quarter-finals. The seeding was decided by as follows:
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 | Pot 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PSW | PSL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | KRE |
TRI |
VIT |
FLU |
APO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SC Kreuzlingen |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 36 | +23 | 12 | Quarter-finals | — | 10–9 | — | — | — | |
| 2 | Triglav Kranj |
4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 47 | 34 | +13 | 6[lower-alpha 1] | — | — | 10–8 | — | 18–5 | ||
| 3 | Vitoria Sport Clube |
4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 48 | 45 | +3 | 6[lower-alpha 1] | 10–12 | — | — | — | 18–14 | ||
| 4 | Clube Fluvial Portuense (H) |
4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 51 | −12 | 6[lower-alpha 1] | 8–21 | 11–10 | 9–12 | — | 11–8 | ||
| 5 | APOEL Nicosia |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 36 | 63 | −27 | 0 | 9–16 | — | — | — | — |
- Head-to-head goal difference: Triglav Kranj +1, Vitoria Sport Clube +1, Clube Fluvial Portuense –2. Head-to-head result: Triglav Kranj 10–8 Vitoria Sport Clube.
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PSW | PSL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | CAR |
DAU |
MAN |
ODT |
BAN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carouge Natation |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 34 | +25 | 11 | Quarter-finals | — | — | 11–10 | 20–9 | 20–7 | |
| 2 | Royal Dauphins Mouscronnois (H) |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 69 | 36 | +33 | 10 | 11–12[lower-alpha 1] | — | 16–14 | 20–7 | 25–7 | ||
| 3 | City Of Manchester Water Polo Club |
4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 60 | 42 | +18 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 4 | ODTU Sport Club |
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 45 | 69 | −24 | 3 | — | — | 8–13 | — | 21–16 | ||
| 5 | VK Banja Luka |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 37 | 89 | −52 | 0 | — | — | 7–23 | — | — |
- Match ended 8–8, Carouge Natation won 4–3 on penalties
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PSW | PSL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | GAL |
NOV |
POL |
SPO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galatasaray (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 21 | +37 | 9 | Quarter-finals | — | 14–7 | 17–8 | 27–6 | |
| 2 | KVP Novaky |
3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 28 | +5 | 6 | — | — | — | 15–6 | ||
| 3 | Polytechnic Water Polo Club |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 32 | −7 | 3 | — | 8–11 | — | — | ||
| 4 | Sporting Clube De Portugal |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 51 | −35 | 0 | — | — | 4–9 | — |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PSW | PSL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ZAI |
VAL |
ENK |
CET |
KOM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EVK Zaibas |
4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 64 | 35 | +29 | 9[lower-alpha 1] | Quarter-finals | — | — | 8–11 | 22–8 | — | |
| 2 | Valletta (H) |
4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 67 | 33 | +34 | 9[lower-alpha 1] | 11–15 | — | 14–10 | 21–5 | 21–3 | ||
| 3 | Enka Istanbul |
4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 68 | 26 | +42 | 9[lower-alpha 1] | — | — | — | 22–1 | 25–3 | ||
| 4 | Cetus Espoo |
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 36 | 74 | −38 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 22–9 | ||
| 5 | KVT Komodor |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 87 | −67 | 0 | 5–19 | — | — | — | — |
- Head-to-head goal difference: EVK Zaibas +1, Valletta 0, Enka Istanbul –1.
Knockout stage
Draw
The draw took place on the 24 October in Barcelona.[10] The seeded and unseeded clubs consist of the teams that finished first and second in the previous round respectively. The only restriction was that clubs from the same group in the previous round could not be drawn against each other.
| Seeded | Unseeded |
|---|---|
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Bracket
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||||||
| EVK Zaibas
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| Royal Dauphins Mouscronnois
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| Galatasaray
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| Valletta
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| Carouge Natation
| |||||||||||||||||
| Triglav Kranj
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| SC Kreuzlingen
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| KVP Novaky
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See also
References
- "Big changes in European water polo club competitions - LEN - European Aquatics". www.len.eu. June 2, 2023.
- "Men Clubs Country Ranking - LEN - European Aquatics". www.len.eu. February 20, 2023.
- Curcic, Ivan (September 8, 2023). "36 teams in Men's LEN Euro Cup; new format will be applied".
- Curcic, Ivan (October 20, 2023). "Great day for Swiss tandem".
- "Draws for Euro Cup and Challenger Cup - LEN - European Aquatics". www.len.eu. September 8, 2023.
- "LEN Qualifying Round Draws: 2023/2024 Euro Cup Men, Challenger Cup Men and Women - LEN - European Aquatics". www.len.eu. September 11, 2023.
- Curcic, Ivan (September 11, 2023). "Plenty of national clashes in Euro Cup qualifications; Vasas starts title defense from Budapest".
- "Men Club Ranking - LEN - European Aquatics". www.len.eu. February 20, 2023.
- "Men Country Ranking - LEN - European Aquatics". www.len.eu. February 20, 2023.
- "Water Polo Challenger Cup Men and Women: draw and changes - LEN - European Aquatics". www.len.eu. October 23, 2023.