After the final captain of Olimpija and first player ever to rise Alpe Adria Trophy Blaž Verač and best player of the league after coaches choice Andrija Šulič exclusively spoke for our site.
"I expected harder game. We played in a swimming-pool that is known by it's unbelivably support from the gallery. Our beginning was bad. Coach had to remind us why we came here, why we trained so hard whole season - to win Alpe Adria League. And finally we succeed that!" was shining from the glory  Blaž Verač, captain of the Dragons.
Mixed fellings were in head of Branik player Andrija Šulič, who was after lost final holding trophy for the best player of the league: "We played in great final. For success we would need better shooting from distance. In our case, we warm up opponents goalkeeper instead of scoring. If we hit some of those shoots, game could finish different. We are not satisfied, but not dissapointed also because we played excellent. As good as posible we had to play now in national championships and cup competition. I wasn expecting trophy for best player but I'm happy to get it."

Grega Košir

First edition of International Alpe Adria Waterpolo League ended with thrilling final between traditional rivals from Maribor and Ljubljana. Branik and Olimpija showed everything what modern waterpolo should be about. At the end better but also little bit luckiest team was Olimpija. Players from Slovenian capital rise first trophy of newborn competition.
Home team had dream start. After couple of minutes they were already leading with 3:0. Dragons didn't need much to come back. It was only minus one befor first break. After break Jure Škof scored for Olimpija to come to lead for the first time. "Lionhart" home captain Matjaž Ul hit the net twice from the hole for another Branik advantage. Next attack of Dragons was decisive. Olimpijas center forward David Kecman scored five great goalsand was unstoppable for home defenders. When Uroš Štuhec missed from five meters, hopes for Branik were smaller and smaller. Just before the end Ul was excluded with substitution and Andraž Verač scored from five meters to close the game.

Grega Košir

Result:

► Branik (Slovenia) - Olimpija (Slovenia) 7:10 (3:2, 2:3, 0:2, 2:3)
Scorers for Branik: Ul 4, Šmarčan 1, Štuhec 1, Skernišak 1.
Scorers for Olimpija: Kecman 5, A. Verač 2, Gotovac 1, Brnjac 1, Ju. Škof 1.

As coach of ASV Žarko Jeremič wished, his team won once on final four tournament. After beating Koper they clinched final third place.
Game started equal. In second period ASV ran on three goals advantage. Sharks come close several times. At the end of the game there was scoring duel between Simon Berce and Ante Kajmak. It ended in draw (3:3). But the game and final third place went to ASV.

Grega Košir

Result:

► Koper (Slovenia) - ASV Wien (Austria) 8:10 (2:2, 1:4, 2:3, 3:1)
Scorers for Koper: Berce 3, Smolnik 2, Volčič 2, Pucer 1.
Scorers for ASV Wien: Kajmak 3, Rukavina 2, Grabič 2, Draganič 2, Markovič 1.

First year of International Alpe Adria Waterpolo League is waiting only for the Final Four tournament that is going to be hosted by Pristan swimming-pool in January 26th and 27th. Here you can find what all four head coaches had to say before the start of final games.
»Actually it isn't matter who is your opponent in the semi-final. All theree remaining teams are almost equaly strong. Also team from Vienna, that showed some good games at the end of the regular season. And this semi-final game against them is the game we had to prepare for. Later we are going to think about next opponent. But it is no secret that we want to win. With the results we prove that we can grab first place at the end. We had some troubles with goalkeepers in last days, but we will find solution," is optimistic Robert Grubišič - Čabo, who is going to defend first place after regular season.
»Games that we saw proved idea of establishing league like that. In future we need to expand and bring some strong teams to have even better games," were first words of Slovenian national team had coach Željko Tonkovič - Taci, who also sits on the bench of Olimpija: »Durning winter break we didn't fullfill our plan, but we are rising our performance. We are going to see whitch level we will achieve and games will show if this is enough for first place. Coaches and player sure want and will try to win first International Alpe Adria League title!"
Igor Belofastov, who climbed on the Koper bench literaly from the water, was short: »We will take step by step. Our first step is Olimpija, game for final place still don't exist for us now. We have nothing to loose. We wish to beat Olimpija, than we will think about next game. We practice good, unfortunatelly center forward Nejc Potočnik and lefthander Blaž Čeklič are missing. Potočnik is in hospital and will not join us for sure. There are also only few chances for Čeklič, whu is suffering severe ear infection."
»We want to win one match at least on the forthcoming weekend, wherever that will take us in this finals of AAL. For this AAL season it was our goal to reach the finals and to leave a worthwhile impression of Vienna Waterpolo. We had a very difficult season with three first side players not being constantly available for ASV Ströck-Brot Wien team, Andrija Rosič, Lukas Stejskal and our captain Michael Schneider. That made it very difficult to put the strongest team into the water and we had to bring a number of young players to fill up the gaps. Thus our results let us reach the finals, but we did not manage to win one of our matches in Slowenia. We hope that our young players will take up the challenge in the future and that we will have a broader basis in AAL 2008,« is looking toward next year ASV Wien coach Žarko Jeremič.

Grega Košir

Only Final Four tournament is still to be played in first year of International Alpe Adria Watepolo League. Final Four will be hosted by Pristan swimming-pool in Maribor. Semi final pairs are Branik vs. ASV Wien and Olimpija vs. Koper. Also referees for Final Four are already nominated.
First Final Four will be officiated by four Slovenian referees - Bor Balderman, Gregor Košir, Dani Rožman from Kranj and Aleš Robnik from Maribor. Draw just before the start of the games will decide who is going to whistle whitch game. Jože Marinček (Kranj) and Leopold Jerman (Koper) will be changing roles of delegate and evaluator. 

Grega Košir

Last game of regular season was played in Vienna between home ASV Wien and Pallanuoto Trieste. Game wasn't decideing about annything. Last points of the regular season stayed in Austrian capital. Semi-final pairs of Final Four Tournament, it is going to take place in swimming-pool Pristan in Maribor on 26th and 27th of January, will be Branik vs. ASV Wien and Olimpija vs. Koper. Semi-final winners will decide first Alpe Adria League title holder on Sunnday, January 27th at 18.00 hrs.
In Vienna spectators saw prestigious clash for last points of regular seson. They expected duel of best scorers of the league, second placed Marko Draganič from home team and leader Aaron Giorgi from Trieste. But Giorgi didn't arrive in Vienna and home team had no troubles to win this game at all. For winners Draganič scored seven goals and equalized with Giorgi on the top of the league scorers.

Grega Košir

Result:

ASV Wien (Austria) – Pallanuoto Trieste (Italy) 15:7 (4:1, 3:4, 7:1, 1:1)
Scorers for ASV: Draganič 7, Rukavina 2, Mijič 2, Kajmak 2, Markovič 1, Dushkov 1.
Scorers for Trieste: Giacomini 3, Vampa 2, Calino 2.

Last Game Day of regular season answered last questions about places on the league table. There is still one game to be played between ASV Wien and Pallanuoto Trieste but it won't decide anything. Semi-final pairs of Final Four Tournament, it is going to take place in swimming-pool Pristan in Maribor on 26th and 27th of January, will be Branik vs. ASV Wien and Olimpija vs. Koper. Semi-final winners will decide first Alpe Adria League title holder on Sunnday, January 27th at 18.00 hrs.
Most important game of the last Game Day was in Maribor. Match between Branik and ASV Wien was deciding first and third place on the table. Teams aproached game that way and show one of the best plays of the competition. But closer look tells us, this game was not important at all. With this win Branik secured first place and nailed ASV on fourth. If ASV managed to win, this would mean that Olimpija would catch Branik on points and won first place beceuse of better goal difference in direct duels. Similar would happen on third place with Koper and ASV. So, in anny way, semi-final pairs would be the same! Game decided only prestigious order after regular season.
But teams were deadly serious and crowd on the gallery really enjoyed the performance. Score was equalized ten times, teams changed in the lead four times and they scored twentysix times. Man of the match was "LionHart" Matjaž Ul, captain of home team, who scored siw times. Despite of excellent Vedran Sokač in ASV goal. Branik players could blame thirselves for that, because of bad shooting at the beginning they warm up opponents goalkeeper. ASV played deep zone on Uroš Štuhec, who had bad scoring day. Also young goalkeeper Marko Mitrovič wasn't on the same level as he was on last two games. Lefthanded striker from ASV Ivan Rukavina was the one who used that to score five goals. In the last second of first period he equalized from his own half of the playfield. He also scored some unbelivable goals. On tje other hand, Branik stopped second scorer of the league Marko Draganič, who scored only twice. Decisive moments of the game were at the end of third period when Tevž Suhadolnik bring two goals advantage for the first time, in the middle of last period when Peter Vrbnjak hit the net for +3 and half minute before the end when Suhadolnik set final result with his second goal of the evening.
Games in Koper and Ljubljana were much less stressfull and ended as expected. Emediately after last whistles, winners started to call in Maribor to ask for result. Of course, this result affected also their position on the table.
In Ljubljana Dragons managed to stop first scorer of the league Aaron Giorgi, who scored only once. Game was decided after second period.
Even faster Koper decided their match. There was 6:0 after first period. Man of the match in Žusterna swimming-pool was Nenad Černeka who scored nine golas. In first nine games he scored only four times. 

Grega Košir

Results:

► Branik (Slovenia) – ASV Wien (Austria) 14:12 (2:2, 3:4, 6:3, 3:3)
Scorers for Branik: Ul 6, Šulič 3, Suhadolnik 2, Šmarčan 1, Štuhec 1, Vrbnjak 1. 
Scorers for ASV Dunaj: Rukavina 5, Mijič 2, Markovič 2, Draganič 2, Grabič 1.

► Olimpija (Slovenia) – Pallanuoto Trieste (Italy) 10:5 (2:1, 4:1, 1:2, 3:1)
Scorers for Olimpija: B. Verač 4, Brnjac 2, Puš 2, A. Verač 1, Ju. Škof 1.
Scorers for Trst: Vampa 2, Irredento 1, Giorgi 1, Planinšek 1.

► Koper (Slovenia) – WBC Tirol (Austria) 17:8 (6:0, 2:3, 4:0, 5:5)
Scorers for Koper: Černeka 9, Kavčič 2, Berce 2, Benčič 1, Volčič 1, Crnica 1, Smolnik 1.
Scorers for Tirol: Hornak 4, Hengl 2, Niklanovič 2.

Pristan swimming-pool hosted postponed game of Game Day 8 between leader Branik and last placed WBC Tirol. Home team had no troubles to defeat all atempts of guests. To defend first place after regular season Branik needs at least one point from last Game Day against ASV Wien.
At the beginning of the game guests from Innsbruck sill hoped that they can surprise home team. Branik once again had to play without their first goalkeeper Aleš Manfreda. But, with help of strong home D-fence, he was successfully replaced by Marko Mitrovič. Captain Matjaž Ul and striker Miha Šmarčan had good attacking day and advantage in favour of Branik rise quickly.

Grega Košir

Result:

► Branik (Slovenia) – WBC Tirol (Austria) 18:5 (3:1, 5:2, 4:1, 6:1)
Scorers for Branik: Ul 5, Šmarčan 4, Šulič 3, Vrbnjak 2, Jokič 1, Denk 1, Suhadolnik 1, Pevec 1.
Scorers for WBC Tirol: Niklanovič 2, Hengl 2, Bohme 1.

Olimpija and WBC Tirol played again in less than twenty hours while they had this postponed game of Game Day 7 still to play. Once again Olimpija was better opponent and won all points. It means they catch Branik on the top of the table. Olimpija is also better in games played against each other. To stay on the top Olimpija had to beat Trieste on last Game Day while Branik had to lost one of the last two games against Austrian rivals. Especially hard job they are facing before match against awakened ASV Wien that is conquering third place.
Remembering yesterdays win Olimpija started easy and underestimating. Despite of that they were leading since the beginning. But in second period Austrian vicechampions gave them a lecture. Obviously Dragons needed this cold shower. They continoued more focused, took iniciative in their hands and took the lead again. After that Dragons success was never again in dobubt.

Grega Košir

Result:

► Olimpija (Slovenia) – WBC Tirol (Austria) 12:7 (3:2, 2:4, 3:0, 4:1)
Scorers for Olimpija: A. Verač 4, B. Verač 3, Prodan 2, Ja. Škof 2, Gotovac 1, Puš 1. 
Scorers for Tirol: Bundschun 2, Gratzl 2, Hornak 1, Hengl 1, Niklanovič po 1.