With Saarlandhalle expected to be almost sold out across both competition days and international interest around the HYLO® Champions League Men Final 4 continuing to grow, attention is once again firmly focused on 1. FC Saarbrücken TT and their pursuit of another European crown on home soil. The German powerhouse enters the decisive weekend as the No. 1 seed, four-time Champions League winner, and reigning champion of both previous Final 4 editions. Backed by one of the strongest squads in European club table tennis, Saarbrücken will once again be among the favourites to lift the trophy in front of their home supporters. Leading the line-up is FAN Zhendong, reigning Olympic champion in men’s singles, the youngest men’s singles World Champion in history, and owner of nine World Championship gold medals. Alongside him stands Truls MOREGARD, Europe’s current No. 1, Olympic Games and World Championship silver medallist, while Darko JORGIC arrives as Europ’s No.5. Another key figure is Patrick FRANZISKA, currently Europe’s No. 8 and part of Germany’s Olympic silver medal-winning team at Tokyo 2020. Saarbrücken arrive at the Final 4 after another composed European campaign. They opened the knockout stage with a difficult away victory over Dojlidy Białystok before sealing qualification comfortably at home. In the quarter-finals, they produced a dominant first-leg performance against GV Hennebont TT and then handled the pressure well in a demanding return leg to secure another Final 4 appearance. Now the focus turns toward another attempt to defend the title and continue the club’s remarkable Final 4 run. “Of course we want to win the fourth title in a row,” FRANZISKA said. “We have a really, really strong team with so many good players.” Still, the German international made it clear that Saarbrücken are approaching the weekend carefully, beginning with the semi-final against KS Orlen Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki. “We take one step at a time. Bogoria are always dangerous and we know them very well,” he explained. “Especially GIONIS, who I played together with for two years in Borussia Düsseldorf. First we focus on the semi-final and hopefully we can make it to the final.” JORGIC also knows exactly what is waiting in Saarbrücken this weekend: pressure, expectations and another opportunity to fight for the biggest club trophy in Europe. “Honestly, this is one of the biggest tournaments we can have with the club,” said JORGIC. “Of course we know that we are among the favourites to win the title, but there are also many very strong teams in the Final 4.” Although Saarbrücken enters the event as defending champion and host club, the Slovenian star expects a difficult challenge already in the semi-final. “Even the first match against Bogoria can become very dangerous if we don’t play our best table tennis,” he explained. JORGIC is also fully aware of the quality waiting on the other side of the draw, where Borussia Düsseldorf and Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier TT will battle for a place in the final. “Both Düsseldorf and Montpellier are extremely strong teams with quality on every position,” he said. “We need to focus on our own game, play the way we know we can and try to win the trophy once again in front of our home fans. That is definitely our goal and our desire.” Fresh from another demanding international campaign with Romania at the ITTF World Team Championships Finals in London, Eduard Ionescu now turns his full attention toward the HYLO® Champions League Men Final 4. “The World Team Championships just finished and I’m happy with our team performance,” said IONESCU. “I’m also happy with my own performances. It was a long and difficult tournament, but in the end I think we did well as Team Romania.” Now the focus quickly shifts back to club competition and another opportunity for Saarbrücken to defend the Champions League title on home soil. “I’m very excited for the Champions League Final 4,” IONESCU continued. “We are all excited to play and to show our best level at the table.” Like the rest of the Saarbrücken squad, IONESCU’s objective for the weekend is clear. “I hope that we will come back home with one more title,” he said with a smile. Before returning to club duties, FRANZISKA was also part of Germany’s campaign at the ITTF World Team Championships Finals in London, where the team finished in the quarter-finals. “We reached our seeding position in the World Championships. We were seeded 5-8, so reaching the quarterfinal was more or less where we were expected to be,” FRANZISKA reflected. Germany had already beaten Japan during the group stage, but the rematch in the knockout rounds proved far more difficult. “For me, Japan was one of the two or three strongest teams in the tournament. They played extremely well against us, especially Harimoto, who was very strong. It was a tough draw, but we keep working and fighting.” JORGIC also reflected honestly on Slovenia’s recent campaign in London, admitting neither he nor the team managed to reach their highest level. “We didn’t play our best tournament with Slovenia, and honestly I also wasn’t in my best form,” he admitted. “Still, we reached the knockout stage and eventually lost against Germany, who were favourites from the beginning.” Now the focus is entirely on the Final 4 and raising the level again for the decisive club weekend. “I really hope my form will be better this weekend and that I will play better than at the World Championships,” JORGIC said. “It’s a very demanding tournament with excellent teams and great players, but we just need to focus on ourselves, play our game and try once again to win the title at home.” With the arena expected to welcome record crowds and Europe’s elite players ready to take centre stage once again, Saarbrücken now prepares for another weekend aiming to further strengthen its position at the top of European club table tennis.
Linz AG Froschberg and ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari set for Europe Cup Women final showdown
Linz AG Froschberg and ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari set for ETTU Europe Cup Women final showdown After months of demanding European battles, the 2025/26 Europe Cup Women season will come down to a final between ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari and Linz AG Froschberg. The opening leg of the final will take place on 15 May in Cagliari, with ASD Quattro Mori hosting Linz AG Froschberg, while the decisive return leg is scheduled for 22 May in Linz. Both clubs arrive with confidence after strong and consistent European campaigns. Linz AG Froschberg reached the final after another impressive European campaign. The Austrian side recorded victories over Son Cladera TTC Mallorca before delivering a strong semi-final performance against fellow Spanish club MIRO Ganxets Costa Durada. Champions League winners in 2013, Linz AG Froschberg once again confirmed their reputation as one of the most consistent and experienced teams in European women’s club table tennis. For Britt EERLAND, the final arrives at the end of a long and demanding season, but motivation inside the Linz camp remains extremely high. “Of course, at this stage of the season everybody is tired, but everybody is also very eager,” said EERLAND. “It’s a final and we worked hard to be here. Finals are always special to compete in, so we want to make the most of the experience and make it our moment.” The Dutch international also expects another very balanced battle between two teams that know each other well from previous European encounters. “The last time we played against them was in the Champions League in 2025,” she recalled. “I would say that Debora Vivarelli and Nikoleta Stefanova are stronger now, but at that time the Chinese player they had was stronger than the current one. We are both strong teams, so I believe it will be a great final.” On the other side, ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari have perhaps been one of the most resilient teams of the season. The Italian side progressed through difficult ties against Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce Sports Club and Czech club SKST Plus Hodonin to secure their place in the final. Both teams know each other well from years of European competition, which makes this final especially intriguing. Linz traditionally rely on tactical discipline, experience and strong team chemistry, while Cagliari arrive with confidence built through several hard-fought victories during the knockout stage. Neither side may have started the season among the absolute favourites, but both fully earned their place in the final through consistency, resilience and the ability to deliver under pressure. For Tania PLAIAN, the final is both a major challenge and a special opportunity for the Italian club. “We are ready for the final, even if we know Linz are a very strong team with a lot of experience and excellent players,” said PLAIAN. “We already faced each other in the group stage of the Champions League two years ago and lost both matches.” The Italian side has carefully studied their opponents, but above all wants to focus on its own game and atmosphere within the team. “We analysed the players as well as possible and we hope to create a great atmosphere and a great final. We don’t really have expectations. We just want to play point by point and focus on every ball.” PLAIAN believes the biggest strength of ASD Quattro Mori lies away from the table as much as on it. “Our main strength is the team spirit, as always. We are very good friends also outside the table and we always try to help each other.” And after an already memorable European journey, the Italian club now hopes the story can end with a trophy. “We hope that this time the victory will be ours.”
