During the HYLO Champions League Final 4, sensational news spread like wildfire through the Saarlandhalle Saarbrücken—and soon after, headlines echoed across the globe: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT have signed Paris 2024 Olympic Champion FAN Zhendong for the upcoming season. How did it happen? “Patrick (FRANZISKA) and Fan have a great relationship. No matter who wins when they play, they always text each other—just small talk. Patrick jokingly said, ‘Come on, join me in Germany.’ And suddenly we had contact with him. Everything moved so fast,” recalled General Manager Nicolas BARROIS. “That was just two and a half weeks ago when we spoke to him for the first time. Then things started to move quickly. Yesterday, I couldn’t believe it when I saw the signed contract. It was the first time I saw his signature—it felt surreal. And then it just exploded. It was all over CCTV in China, all over the media in Germany and across Europe.” The signing sent shockwaves through the table tennis world. “Our coach Jimmy told me that China went into a frenzy over this. It’s amazing news—not just for Germany, but for Europe and for table tennis globally. I truly believe this will take the German League and Champions League to the next level.” Fan’s move was finalized just in time for league registration. “We had to submit the final registration for the German League yesterday, so it had to be done quickly. Now we will start planning with Fan about his availability. He will still play national matches in China and needs to be there for several weeks, so we’ll coordinate everything accordingly.” Fan is also keen on integrating into European life. “He really likes Germany. He’s excited to be here with Patrick and to get shown around. I think he’ll also spend time with Truls and Darko—they’ll help him get a feel for life in Europe.” Patrick FRANZISKA shared his excitement about playing alongside FAN Zhendong: “When you think about his level, there’s not much to say—everyone knows it. It’s a huge honour for all of us to have him at our club. That he chose to come to Germany and to Saarbrücken means a lot. I’ll try to show him all the nice places in Saarbrücken and Saarland—Paris isn’t far either! I just want him to feel good and have a great time here.” Franziska laughed as he added: “Maybe he can even show me a bit of his footwork and how to hit a proper forehand and backhand.”“We don’t yet know how many matches he’ll be able to play, but after the signing became official, we talked on the phone and he was really happy—free, excited, and ready for a new adventure. We all feel honoured and we’ll do our best to give something back, to train well with him, and show him a bit of Germany.” The significance of the transfer is not lost on Franziska: “It’s a milestone. Yes, we had top Chinese players in the league before—Shang Kun, for example—but FAN Zhendong is on another level. What Nico [BARROIS] managed to pull off—signing Fan and organizing this Final Four—is unbelievable. I usually get replies from him instantly on WhatsApp, but this time he went silent, so I knew he was under a lot of pressure. But this is incredible—for our club, for German table tennis, and for the entire sport in Europe. It doesn’t get much bigger than this.”
Back-to-Back Glory: Saarbrücken Triumph Again
After two days of top-class table tennis, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT successfully defended their title at the 2025 HYLO Champions League Final 4. In the final, held at Saarlandhalle Saarbrücken, the reigning champions overcame Borussia Düsseldorf in a repeat of last year’s decisive clash. On the opening day, Saarbrücken defeated Polish challengers KS Global Pharma Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów to secure their place in the final. Patrick FRANZISKA lost the opening match to ANTON Källberg on a sudden death point in the fifth game, but later redeemed himself by defeating Dang QIU—again by the narrowest of margins. Darko JORGIĆ overcame Timo BOLL, while Truls MÖREGÅRDH prevailed against Qiu to seal Saarbrücken’s triumph. Franziska spoke about his performance at the press conference following the team’s victory: “Anton started really strong in the first two games. His backhand was spot on, which I was a bit afraid of. But I made some small adjustments, and suddenly I was leading 5-3 in the fifth. But like Anton said, it’s always match points both ways in these matches—you can never be sure. I was honestly quite sad afterward that I didn’t take more risks in the decisive moments, especially when he served long twice. I played those points with only 70-80% intensity, not full energy.” Reflecting on his second match, Franziska described a shift in mindset: “Against Dang, it was the opposite. He led 5-2 in the fifth, and when I was down 3-0, I told myself during the timeout that I had to really go for every ball—so I wouldn’t regret anything later. In the end, it came down to small details. That last banana shot caught the edge. If I had hit it a split second later, it could have gone out or into the net. You have to take those risks. Luckily, they were on our side today, just like for Darko against Timo. I’m speechless and relieved that we won.” Darko JORGIĆ reflected on his win over Timo BOLL in what was the legend’s final Champions League match: “Playing against a legend in his last Champions League match—I didn’t want to lose this one. The last time we played, he won, so I’m really happy I managed to turn it around. I knew he’d start strong, and he did. He played really well. It’s amazing what Timo has achieved in his career. It’s always an honor to play him. Since our first match, it’s always been a big fight. I’m really proud to have won this one.” Truls MÖREGÅRDH arrived in Saarbrücken fresh off a bronze medal at the World Championships in Qatar, and carried that form into the Final 4: “Of course, it was tough to come here and play at a high level right after the World Championships. I had some shoulder pain during the whole tournament there, but when I arrived here, it actually felt amazing. I don’t know how or why—maybe I had some kind of energy boost that helped. I’m just really happy that I could perform at 100%. The conditions here are different—shorter matches, different tables, different balls—so it took some adjustment. But I’m very satisfied with how I played and how we played as a team.” Truls also confirmed that he will stay in Saarbrücken next season: “I feel great here. I couldn’t beat them, so I had to join them,” said MÖREGÅRDH, who previously played for Neu-Ulm, a team eliminated by Saarbrücken in last season’s semifinal.
Borussia Düsseldorf Fall Short in Final, Reflect on Narrow Defeat and the Rise of a Stronger Saarbrücken
After the 2025 HYLO Champions League Final 4 held last weekend, Borussia Düsseldorf—the most decorated club in the competition’s history—remain on six Champions League titles and six Europe Cup of Champions trophies. In the final at Saarlandhalle Saarbrücken, they were defeated by 1. FC Saarbrücken TT in a repeat of last year’s clash. Anton KÄLLBERG gave Borussia the perfect start with a dramatic sudden death win over Patrick FRANZISKA. However, Dang QIU fell in straight games to Truls MÖREGÅRDH, and later lost another tight five-set duel against Franziska—again decided by a sudden death point. Darko JORGIĆ prevailed over Timo BOLL, marking Boll’s final appearance in the Champions League. On Saturday, Borussia had advanced to the final with a convincing win over KS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki. Coach Danny HEISTER reflected on the outcome: “I think my team did everything they could, but it was not enough. There were some close matches, but in the end, Saarbrücken was stronger. They came out of the World Championships in great form. They now have three top players, all probably in the world’s top 20 or better. We had our chances, but didn’t convert. Still, the team gave everything.” HEISTER also commented on individual performances: “Dang wasn’t feeling great but still pushed to five sets and had match points. As for TIMO, I can only express my deepest respect for how he played against Darko. We’ll regroup and prepare for our next final in two weeks.” KÄLLBERG was Borussia’s lone point scorer in the final and acknowledged the fine margins: “It was full of ups and downs and sudden death finishes—extremely close. We’ve played so many times now, and it always comes down to the final point. Saarbrücken played at a very high level today. The way Darko beat Timo and the way Franziska played against Dang was impressive. They were simply the stronger team today. We’ll work to be better next time.”
