For the second time in a row, El Niňo Praha has made it to the final of the European Cup. Last time, the Spaniards lost to HB Ostrov, this year they will face Real Club Cajasur Priego TM from Vysehrad. The first match will be played in the south of Europe on May 15th at 8 pm, the return match is scheduled a week later on May 22nd at 6 pm at Kotlářka. The Spanish club started the cup season in the basic phase of the Champions League, where they took second place in Group D and, among others, defeated the Czech TTC Ostrava 2016. They advanced to the play-offs, but the defeat by Borussia Düsseldorf meant a move to the European Cup. In the play-offs, they were gradually eliminated by the Italian club ASD Marcozzi Cagliari, the defending champion of the HB Ostrov trophy, and in the semi-finals, by the French Lille Metropole TT. Real Club Cajasur Priego TM won the Spanish league this season and won the championship title. Now they are grinding their teeth on another valuable trophy. The team’s number one is Austrian Robert GARDOS, but they also have experienced Swede Hampus SODERLUND, Frenchman Joe SEYFRID and Portuguese Diogo CARVALHO on the roster. According to the coach of Prague’s El Niň, Petr KAUCKÝ, his team is facing a very strong opponent. “For example, we saw a few days ago that Robert Gardos played in excellent form at the World Team Championship in London. On the other hand, Tomáš Konečný has already beaten him in the past, David Reitšpies is on a roll now and we are certainly not without a chance. We are really looking forward to the final and it is perhaps a small advantage that it is not a home opponent like last year’s Havlíčkův Brod,” says Petr KAUCKÝ. That is probably why he does not see a clear favorite in the final. “It’s really completely balanced and as I said before the quarter-final series against Danish Roskilde, our advantage will be that the return match is played in Prague. It will be decided there and the fans will be on our side.” In a similar vein, long-time Czech representative and player with a huge amount of experience Tomáš KONEČNÝ is also burning. “Of course, we know the players of the Spanish club, whether from personal experience or from video. I don’t think we have anything to surprise each other with. For example, I trained with Robert Gardos in Schwechat, I remember the matches against Soderlund from the world circuit tournaments. We simply know what awaits us,” he says a few days before the first match. And he once again reminds us how great an achievement it is to advance to El Niňo. “It means a lot to the club, to be in the final of such a competition twice in a row is an extraordinary achievement. We will do our best to make it to the final this year. It is difficult to compare the two final opponents. HB Ostrov had two great reinforcements in Vladislav URSU and Andrej GACINA, who scored key points. Spanish Priego has excellent players on their roster all the time. In that comparison, it will probably be a similarly difficult series for us,” Tomáš Konečný reflects on the chances.
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. 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.”
