Smile Cosenza Pallanuoto withdraws from Serie A1

Smile Cosenza Pallanuoto has officially announced its withdrawal from the 2026/2027 Women's Serie A1 national championship. The club communicated this decision to the Italian Swimming Federation, describing it as a “painful and responsible” choice necessitated by a lack of required economic and structural conditions.

The decision comes shortly after the team achieved significant success by winning a European title. Despite the club's efforts to secure the necessary resources to maintain its position at the top of Italian and European water polo, the required organizational and financial circumstances failed to materialize.

As a result of the withdrawal, the club will restart its competitive journey in Serie B. The management emphasized that the project is not ending but is instead shifting focus toward building a more sustainable foundation and investing in youth players. The withdrawal also means the club will no longer be able to host European competitions in Cosenza, an event that would have had local tourism and economic implications.