The men’s team reached the final after the women’s silver

Italian Andrea Fondelli He prepared and prepared a blow and in the end, out of tension, he punched into the center, into the body Unai Aguirrewho has not forgiven. Throughout the match, the Spanish national team goalkeeper did not spare a single shot. And minute by minute the fate of the European Championship semi-final was decided until there was no other possible result: after beating Italy 7-4, the men’s team will fight either Hungary or Croatia for their first ever continental title in the final this Tuesday (20:15, Teledeport).

Spain’s status as a water polo powerhouse has been established since the 1990s when it won silver in Barcelona in 1992 and gold in Atlanta in 1996, but never has a country dominated the sport as much as Now. There is excitement at the gates of the Paris 2024 Games: the women’s team, already an Olympic berth, was declared European vice-champion last Saturday, and the men’s team is aiming for even more in the coming hours.

The 2022 World Cup champion and the 2023 World Cup champion are two different things, although they may not seem that way – she leads the men David Martin He has many weapons, starting with a combination between Mark Larumbe And Alberto Munarriz in attack, depending on seniority Felipe Perrone And Bligh Mallarach and ends with a historic defense with Aguirre in goal.

Italy, which has scored 15 against Greece and 14 against Montenegro in this tournament, scored just one goal in the first three quarters, with its pitchers desperate, as evidenced by Fondelli. Only in the last quarter, in a reaction of pride (from 5-1 to 6-4), the transalpine team managed to overcome Aguirre’s barrier, but it was already too late. Nerves didn’t stop Spain; his reaching the final was already a fact

In the history of the European Championships, which have been held more than 20 times, only three countries have managed to take their men’s and women’s teams to the final at the same time: Hungary in 1995, Italy in 2001 and Spain, which has already achieved this. in 2020 – with both silvers – and is doing it again now, just four years later.