CN BARCELONA AND PANIONIOS G.S.S. SIGN A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP — A MILESTONE IN EUROPEAN WATER POLO

Last Saturday, Club Natació Barcelona hosted the official signing of a strategic partnership agreement between its water polo academy and that of Panionios G.S.S. (Greece), which also extends to their senior men’s and women’s teams. This agreement marks a groundbreaking milestone in the landscape of European water polo.

The initiative and realization of this agreement were made possible thanks to the leadership and commitment of Albert Plaza, CN Barcelona’s Technical Director, and Joan Valls, Member of the Club’s Water Polo Board. Alongside the Panionios

leadership, they have spearheaded this collaboration with a shared vision of growth, international cooperation, and long-term development.

Founded in 1907, CN Barcelona is the oldest water polo club in Spain and one of the most decorated in Europe. With over 60 national titles and a European Cup, CNB has been a cradle of champions and a model for talent development both nationally and internationally. Its commitment to sporting excellence and methodological innovation positions it as a cornerstone of the European elite.

Panionios G.S.S., based in Athens, is a club with over 130 years of sporting tradition and an ever-growing presence in Greek water polo. Its men’s team regularly competes in the Greek First Division, one of Europe’s most competitive leagues, and is known for its strong youth development program feeding into the national teams.

Key goals and areas of collaboration

This international partnership aims to foster technical and cultural cooperation, support the development of young players, and promote the values of sport, teamwork, and international friendship. The agreement includes:

· Joint training camps and friendly matches between senior and youth teams.

· Pre-season stages, alternating between Barcelona and Athens.

· Player exchanges to provide international high-performance experiences.

· Sharing of performance data, training methods, and long-term athlete development models.

· Cultural immersion and team-building activities, with a bilingual approach.

This agreement reflects a strong joint commitment to talent development, the creation of competitive teams, and the international growth of two historic water polo institutions.

We are confident this collaboration will become a long-term success model and strengthen the sporting and cultural ties between Barcelona and Athens.

Spyros Almpertis, General Manager of the Panionios water polo academy / Albert Plaza, Technical Director of water polo at CN Barcelona / Christos Matzouridis, Technical Director of water polo at Panionios / Marc Prat, assistant coach of the senior team and coach of the youth team at CN Barcelona