During the European Youth Championships, the official draw for the 2025/26 Europe Club Competitions was conducted today, setting the stage for another thrilling season across all four elite events. Following the successful implementation of the Final 4 format in the Champions League Men, the ETTU will, for the first time, introduce the same format in the Champions League Women. As previously announced, Saarbrücken will host the Champions League Men Final 4 for the third consecutive time on 16–17 May 2026. The inaugural Champions League Women Final 4 will take place the following weekend, on 23–24 May 2026. The process for selecting the host is currently in progress. The season is set to commence on the weekend 29th-31st August 2025. ETTU Champions League Men The competition will begin with Stage 1, featuring four groups of four clubs each, seeded from position 9 onward. The top eight seeded clubs are directly qualified for the Round of 16. The top two teams from each Stage 1 group will progress to the Round of 16, joining the eight top seeds. From that point, the Champions League Men will follow a knock-out system with two-legged ties in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals. The four winners will advance to the Final 4. ETTU Europe Cup Men Stage 1 will include four groups, each consisting of three clubs and one with four, seeded from positions 25 to 37. The top two teams from each group will advance to Stage 2. The third and fourth will relegate to Europe Trophy. Stage 2 will feature four new groups composed of the winners and runners-up from Stage 1, along with the third- and fourth-placed teams from Stage 1 of the Champions League Men. Stage 3 will be played in a knock-out format. The eight winners and runners-up from Stage 2 will face the losing teams from the Champions League Men Round of 16. All knock-out matches will be played in home-and-away matches. ETTU Champions League Women In the 2025/26 season, clubs seeded from positions 9 to 16 will compete in the stage 1 with two groups of four teams. The group winners and runners up will progress to Stage 2, which will be played in four groups with three clubs. The top 8 seeds will enter the Stage 2. The winners and the runners up from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals, played in home and away matches. The winning teams will proceed to the Final 4 which will be introduced for the Champions League women for the first time. ETTU Europe Cup Women Stage 1 will be played with three groups of four clubs each, seeded from positions 17 to 28. The group winners and runners-up will progress to Stage 2, which will also include the group 3rd and 4th from Stage 1 of the Champions League Women. The four winners and runners-up from Stage 2 will qualify for the quarterfinals, where they will meet the third-placed teams from Champions League Women Stage 2.
ETTU Executive Board Meets During European Youth Championships in Ostrava
On the occasion of the 2025 European Youth Championships, the ETTU Executive Board convened for a meeting in Ostrava. The meeting was hosted by the Czech Table Tennis Association and welcomed by Mr. Nikolas ENDAL, President of the CTTA and Director of the Local Organising Committee for the 2025 European Youth Championships. During the session, the Executive Board addressed a wide range of strategic and operational topics. The Board approved all propositions and the draft budget for 2026, which will be submitted to the ETTU Congress later this year. “We had another long and fruitful EB meeting. While some important decisions were taken, EB also took the opportunity to brainstorm about some very important topics, like the qualification for LA 2028 or even the future of the European Youth Championships,” stated ETTU President Pedro MOURA. Among other decisions, the Executive Board confirmed the recipients of the ETTU Badge of Honour, recognising individuals for their exceptional contributions to the sport of table tennis in Europe. The ETTU EB discussed the future of European Youth Championships and agreed to open a survey to member Associations. Updates were provided on the preparation and organisation of upcoming events, staffing and administrative matters, as well as on contractual obligations and the structure of the European Club Competitions. Further discussions included a cooperation request, a initial brainstorming on the qualification system for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, and the status of qualification for the Youth Olympic Games. The Board also approved a set of sustainability guidelines that will be implemented across future ETTU events, underlining the Union’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility in sport. Finally, the upcoming Executive Board meetings were agreed and confirmed. ETTU remains committed to excellence, and unity in European table tennis, and thanks the Czech TTA for their hospitality and successful organisation of the European Youth Championships.
