title: 1997 Men's European Water Polo Championship
text: # 1997 Men's European Water Polo Championship
  
  The 1997 Men's European Water Polo Championship was the 23rd edition of the bi-annual event, organised by the Europe's governing body in aquatics, the Ligue Européenne de Natation. The event took place in Seville, Spain from August 13 to August 22, 1997, as an integrated part of the European LC Championships 1997.
  
  ## First round
  
  ### GROUP A
  
  | | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1. | Russia | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 23 | +13 |
  | 2. | FR Yugoslavia | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 20 | +12 |
  | 3. | Italy | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 38 | 20 | +18 |
  | 4. | Greece | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 30 | −3 |
  | 5. | Germany | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 34 | 38 | −4 |
  | 6. | Bulgaria | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 59 | −36 |
  
  * August 13, 1997
  
  | Russia | 13–4 | Bulgaria |
  | - | - | - |
  | FR Yugoslavia | 10–5 | Germany |
  | Greece | 2–7 | Italy |
  
  * August 14, 1997
  
  | Italy | 8–4 | Germany |
  | - | - | - |
  | Russia | 7–6 | Greece |
  | Bulgaria | 4–9 | FR Yugoslavia |
  
  * August 15, 1997
  
  | Greece | 8–4 | Bulgaria |
  | - | - | - |
  | Germany | 6–8 | Russia |
  | Italy | 3–4 | FR Yugoslavia |
  
  * August 16, 1997
  
  | Bulgaria | 5–16 | Italy |
  | - | - | - |
  | Russia | 3–3 | FR Yugoslavia |
  | Greece | 6–6 | Germany |
  
  * August 17, 1997
  
  | Germany | 13–6 | Bulgaria |
  | - | - | - |
  | FR Yugoslavia | 6–5 | Greece |
  | Russia | 5–4 | Italy |
  
  ### GROUP B
  
  | | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1. | Croatia | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 29 | +5 |
  | 2. | Hungary | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 26 | +23 |
  | 3. | Spain | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 25 | +15 |
  | 4. | Slovakia | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 33 | +1 |
  | 5. | Netherlands | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 23 | 36 | −13 |
  | 6. | Ukraine | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 48 | −31 |
  
  * August 13, 1997
  
  | Slovakia | 6–4 | Netherlands |
  | - | - | - |
  | Hungary | 13–3 | Ukraine |
  | Spain | 7–8 | Croatia |
  
  * August 14, 1997
  
  | Netherlands | 10–4 | Ukraine |
  | - | - | - |
  | Spain | 9–5 | Slovakia |
  | Croatia | 7–7 | Hungary |
  
  * August 15, 1997
  
  | Hungary | 12–6 | Slovakia |
  | - | - | - |
  | Croatia | 7–3 | Ukraine |
  | Spain | 7–3 | Netherlands |
  
  * August 16, 1997
  
  | Croatia | 9–3 | Netherlands |
  | - | - | - |
  | Slovakia | 8–5 | Ukraine |
  | Spain | 7–7 | Hungary |
  
  * August 17, 1997
  
  | Croatia | 9–3 | Slovakia |
  | - | - | - |
  | Netherlands | 3–10 | Hungary |
  | Spain | 10–2 | Ukraine |
  
  ## Quarterfinals
  
  | Croatia | 5–4 | Greece |
  | - | - | - |
  | Russia | 11–6 | Slovakia |
  | Hungary | 8–7 | Italy |
  | FR Yugoslavia | 10–9 | Spain |
  | Greece | 3–7 | Spain |
  | Italy | 12–9 | Slovakia |
  
  ## Semifinals
  
  | FR Yugoslavia | 8–7 | Croatia |
  | - | - | - |
  | Hungary | 10–7 | Russia |
  
  ## Finals
  
  * Ninth place
  
  | Netherlands | 10–7 | Germany |
  | - | - | - |
  
  * Seventh place
  
  | Greece | 13–9 | Slovakia |
  | - | - | - |
  
  * Fifth place
  
  | Spain | 8–6 | Italy |
  | - | - | - |
  
  * Third place
  
  | Russia | 9 – 8 [aet] | Croatia |
  | - | - | - |
  
  * First place
  
  | Hungary | 3–2 | FR Yugoslavia |
  | - | - | - |
  
  ## Final ranking
  
  | RANK | TEAM |
  | - | - |
  | | Hungary |
  | | FR Yugoslavia |
  | | Russia |
  | 4. | Croatia |
  | 5. | Spain |
  | 6. | Italy |
  | 7. | Greece |
  | 8. | Slovakia |
  | 9. | Netherlands |
  | 10. | Germany |
  | 11. | Bulgaria |
  | 12. | Ukraine |
  
  * 1997 Men's European champion
  * Hungary Eleventh title
  * The first eight teams qualified for the 1998 FINA Men's World Water Polo Championship in Perth, Australia; Bulgaria and Ukraine were relegated.
  
  ## Individual awards
  
  * Most Valuable Player
  * Best Goalkeeper
  * Topscorer
  