Ortigia and De Akker Bologna face off in Serie A1 water polo opener

Ortigia and De Akker Bologna are set to face each other in the opening match of the 2026/2027 men's Serie A1 water polo championship. The game will take place at the Paolo Caldarella outdoor pool in Syracuse.

Ortigia enters the season with a renewed roster under new coach Hrvoje Koljanin, featuring four foreign players and four promoted youth players from their Academy. De Akker Bologna, coached by Federico Mistrangelo, arrives following a successful season that included winning the Conference Cup. The Bologna-based team is expected to field a full squad, including experienced players such as Kristijan Milakovic and Erdelyi.

Coach Koljanin noted that the match against Bologna represents a significant challenge due to the opponent's high level and balanced roster. Similarly, Mistrangelo highlighted the difficulty of starting the season in Syracuse against a historically tough opponent.