Champions League Men | 8 Apr 2016

Christian ADAM: Eslovs to be tough hurdle at the end of TTCLM

Pontoise`s coach praises his players who overcame two most powerful European clubs in the last ten years, Borussia Dusseldorf (quarter-finals) and Orenburg (semi-finals)

 

Current French champion AS Pontoise Cergy targets two titles in the rest of the 2015/16 season, as a leading team of national league and the finalist of the Table Tennis Champions League Men. In the last two seasons they got two biggest achievements in their history, winning TTCLM in 2014 and Pro A League in the 2015, but 2016 could be special one.  

 

Pontoise established itself as one of the two most successful TTCLM participants in the last three seasons, securing the second final through battles against top seeded Fakel Gazproma Orenburg. Russian team has been named as the huge favorite at the beginning of the season, but French side upset them second time in three years (Pontoise beat Orenburg in the 2014 final). 

 

“This is a great victory to win among the best European team of the past five years! We knew that, although it would be very difficult, it was possible to do it because we are one of the few teams to have already beaten them in recent years”, stated Pontoise`s coach Christian ADAM.

 

Marcos FREITAS, Kristian KARLSSON, Tristan FLORE and WANG Jian Jun were faced with many tough hurdles during the 2015/16 TTCLM season, having two games in the group stage against Eslovs Al Bordtennis, their upcoming adversary in the final. Both teams won their away matches.

 

“This shows the value of our team, as our "road" to the final has not been easy:  indeed, in our group we had Eslovs that we are going to find again in final, Bremen team that is going to play ETTC final. In the quarter-finals we beat Borussia Dusseldorf and in the semi-finals Orenburg ! We are aware that everything remains to be done because we know the value of Eslövs' team. It will still be a very hard fight!” stressed Christian ADAM.