Imagine that Florentino Perez, after leading Real Madrid to their last Champions League victory, suddenly decides to “turn off the taps”, abandon the team and stop all activities. This is exactly what is happened to Pro Recco, the “Real Madrid of water polo”. The owner Gabriele Volpi, last July, announced his disengagement and, not finding new investors, the Ligurian team has officially ceased operations after more than 65 years of unparalleled success.
On August 2, 2024, the Pro Recco, as it was known, has closed its doors. With an incredible list of victories, including 36 league titles, 11 Champions Leagues and numerous national and international trophies, the team will no longer participate in Serie A1 or the Champions League, the competition in which it holds the record for victories at European level. Fortunately, this is not a definitive farewell for Recco, a town in Liguria with less than ten thousand inhabitants, where water polo has been the city sport for many years: water polo will in fact continue thanks to the new company “Recco Water Polo”, founded by Maurizio Felugo. This new entity will guarantee the team's registration in the Serie A1 championship, initially focusing on young talents, while the players of the "old" Pro Recco were released to seek new professional opportunities. But what happened to go from winning the Champions League to liquidation in two months?
Volpi's farewell and the end of Pro Recco
The crisis began on July 5, 2024, when Gabriele Volpi has announced his withdrawal from Pro Recco. Volpi, who already owned Spezia Calcio between 2008 and 2021, explained that, although it is a “deeply painful” decision, it is part of a “progressive diversification of the Orlean group's initiatives“, which he heads. Volpi hoped that some Ligurian entrepreneur or water polo enthusiast could take up the extraordinary legacy of Pro Recco, including the sporting title, management and future of the club.
Il the team's future has become uncertain, with the need to find new investors by July 31 to avoid exclusion from the top European competition. Despite the efforts, however, no buyer capable of taking over the club has emerged and maintain the competitive project at the previous levels. The players, including seven Italian internationals, were released, and the team renounced participation in the Champions League, a competition it had won consecutively from 2021 to 2023.
Il August 2, 2024, anniversary of the first historic championship in 1959, the Pro Recco has officially said goodbye to the world of water polo, marking the end of the team as we knew it.
The rebirth as Recco Waterpolo
Despite the storm that hit Pro Recco, water polo in Recco continues to live thanks to the birth of “Recco Waterpolo”, a new company founded by Maurizio Felugo, former president of Pro Recco. This new entity inherits the sporting title of Pro Recco, thus allowing the team to participate in the Serie A1 championship but with scaled-down objectives and a renewed focus on young talents.
The Recco Waterpolo will not have the same economic resources of the Volpi management. Players who decide to stay will have to accept significantly reduced salaries compared to the past. Those who do not want to accept these conditions will be free to seek a new professional placement, while respecting existing contracts until a solution satisfactory to all parties is found.
Pro Recco changes its statute and turns to social issues
But what happened to Pro Recco? Parallel to the birth of Recco Waterpolo, the historic Pro Recco has changed its statute, shifting the focus from competitive activity to social initiatives. The company will no longer have a competitive role while the new mission will be to contribute to the well-being of the community of Recco, with projects aimed at education and recreational activities for young people and the creation of centers dedicated to seniors.
This change was decided in an extraordinary meeting which also saw the appointment of the lawyer Luca Gratteri as sole director. A committee of wise men will be charged with identifying and approving the imore suitable initiatives to meet the needs of the community, with an initial budget set at 15.000 euros per project.
