Champions League Men | 20 May 2014
FRANZ diktat: no time to celebrate
Everybody in Pontoise emphasizes that the MECL trophy is still belonging to Orenburg, tough they managed to beat them 3:1 in 1st final leg of 2013/14 season AS Pontoise Cergy has a nice opportunity to be first Men`s ECL champion from France after Caen Clu
Everybody in Pontoise emphasizes that the MECL trophy is still belonging to Orenburg, tough they managed to beat them 3:1 in 1st final leg of 2013/14 season
AS Pontoise Cergy has a nice opportunity to be first Men`s ECL champion from France after Caen Club who overcame Borussia Dusseldorf in an inaugural season 1998/99. Last Saturday they surprised everybody beating at home reigning champion Fakel Gazproma Orenburg 3:1 (10:5 set ratio), but their coach Peter FRANZ knows very well how tough rematch will be on May 30th…
“Of course we are really happy with the performance of all players and with the result. The atmosphere in the hall was great. That helped everyone in our team to play at 100 percent. We also had a little bit luck in important situations but we deserved to win it in my opinion. Anyway we know that this was just a step and we know that it will be much more difficult in the second match”.
Pontoise`s staff knows very well that there is no untouchable advantage from the first leg, managing to reach semi-final despite they were beaten 3:0 (9:5) by Werder Bremen. Mrs. Louise ADAM, the president of French club, hopes that their players are able to continue their dream and conclude successfully the best ever season in Pontoise`s history:
“Great victory over two-time European champion. Of course, it is the first leg and we are aware that this performance has still to be confirmed in Orenburg. We shall do our best!
Louise ADAM stressed that the Saturday evening vening was fantastic: “About 1000 fans have supported our team all the match, in an extraordinary atmosphere. Something very special we shall never forget… These kinds of thrills you feel only in certain circumstances. I am pleased that, through table tennis sport, we could feel them in Pontoise!”
World`s no. 13 Marcos FREITAS lost opening match from actual individual European champion Dimitrij OVTCHAROV, but beat great Vladimir SAMSONOV in forth encounter. “I am very satisfied that we won against Orenburg 3:1 at home”, says Portuguese. “Orenburg is a strong team with top players and we know that we will have a difficult game next week in Russia. We did an important step on Saturday but to win we need to do one more. Thanks to all the people who came to the hall to support us and also to my 7 Portuguese friends who came to cheer for me and Pontoise”
Pontoise is in the unique situation, to fight for two titles which never reach, in just two weeks. It has two more games in French Pro A League (Romagne on May 27th, Chartres on June 3rd) and need both victories to win the championship. The rematch in Russia will be held on May 30th. They are three times national vice-champion and now plays first ever MECL final.
“After the first match against Orenburg we could be happy and celebrate a little, but today we should already focus for the next leg and our two other very important matches in the French league”, emphasized coach Peter FRANZ.
