The battle for the 2026/27 HYLO ETTU Champions League Men title moves into a new phase this week, as the eight highest-seeded clubs enter the competition in the Round of 16. Defending champions 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, record European title contenders Borussia Düsseldorf and last season’s runners-up Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier headline an impressive field of 16 teams, with the opening legs scheduled for 12-14 November. Following the conclusion of Stage 1 in Lille, eight successful qualifiers are ready to challenge the clubs that earned direct entry into the knockout stage. HB Ostrov z.s, ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi, SF SKK El Nino Praha, Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61, TTC Sokah Hoboken, Lille Metropole TT, KS Dojlidy Białystok and AS Pontoise Cergy TT have all secured their places among Europe’s last 16. Four of those teams – HB Ostrov, El Nino Praha, Hoboken and Dojlidy – progressed from Lille with perfect records, winning all three of their group matches. The spotlight now turns to the continent’s leading clubs and the international stars who will join the competition. Top seeds 1. FC Saarbrücken TT open their campaign on Friday, 13 November, against French side Lille Metropole TT. The German champions enter the knockout stage with a significantly reshaped squad following the departures of FAN Zhendong and Darko JORGIC. However, their line-up remains formidable. Sweden’s Truls MOREGARD, Germany’s Patrick FRANZISKA and Brazil’s Hugo CALDERANO lead the challenge, supported by Romania’s Eduard IONESCU, Spain’s Álvaro ROBLES and Korea Republic’s OH Junsung. Lille secured second place in Group C during Stage 1 and will now face a much greater challenge. The French club can call upon Croatia’s experienced Andrej GACINA, Romania’s Rares SIPOS and France’s Fabio RAKOTOARIMANANA. One of the most anticipated storylines of the new season is the arrival of Olympic champion FAN Zhendong at Borussia Düsseldorf. The Chinese superstar has joined the German giants after helping Saarbrücken claim last season’s title, adding further strength to a squad featuring Germany’s QIU Dang, Sweden’s Anton KÄLLBERG and Kanak JHA. Second seeds Düsseldorf begin their campaign on Thursday, 12 November, away to AS Pontoise Cergy TT, who advanced from Stage 1 after a dramatic 3-2 victory over TTC Ostrava 2016. Pontoise’s squad includes Italy’s Mihai BOBOCICA, Chinese Taipei’s HUNG Jing-Kai and China’s ZHOU Kai, who played a decisive role in securing qualification from Lille. Last season’s runners-up Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier return with the ambition of going one step further. Fourth seeds in the competition, the French club will once again rely on brothers Alexis and Félix LEBRUN, both European champions in Ljubljana last month. With India’s Manav THAKAR also in the squad, Nîmes/Montpellier possess the quality to challenge for the trophy. Their first opponents are Denmark’s Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61, who secured second place in Group B in Lille. Roskilde’s experienced Swedish players Jens LUNDQVIST and Anders ERIKSSON, alongside Tobias RASMUSSEN and Dominykas SAMUOLIS, will look to make the most of home advantage in Friday’s opening leg. Seventh seeds GV Hennebont TT have assembled another exceptionally strong squad, led by France’s Simon GAUZY, China’s WEN Ruibo and ZHOU Qihao, and Russia’s Vladimir SIDORENKO. The French side will face HB Ostrov z.s., one of the four unbeaten teams from Stage 1. The Czech club impressed in Lille with three consecutive victories, led by Tomas TREGLER, Pavel SIRUCEK and Tomas POLANSKY. Moldova’s Vladislav URSU is also included in their squad. Poland will have four representatives in the Round of 16, including third seeds KS Orlen Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki. Led by Croatia’s Tomislav PUCAR, Poland’s Milosz REDZIMSKI and Greece’s experienced defender Panagiotis GIONIS, Bogoria will face Italian qualifiers ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi. Sixth seeds KS Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów, strengthened by the arrival of Slovenia’s Darko JORGIC from Saarbrücken, face compatriots KS Dojlidy Białystok in an all-Polish encounter. JORGIC is joined by fellow Slovenian Deni KOZUL and Austria’s Robert GARDOS. Dojlidy arrive in excellent form after completing Stage 1 with three victories from three matches. Fifth seeds KS Dekorglass Działdowo will meet SF SKK El Nino Praha, another unbeaten Stage 1 qualifier. The Czech side can rely on Martin SIP, Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA and Tomas KONECNY, while Dekorglass’s squad includes India’s Manush SHAH and Italy’s Matteo MUTTI. The remaining encounter features eighth seeds Real Club Cajasur Priego TM against Belgian qualifiers TTC Sokah Hoboken. Hoboken were particularly impressive in Lille, finishing top of Group C with three victories, including a convincing 3-0 win over hosts Lille Metropole TT in the final round. Benjamin BROSSIER, Olav KOSOLOSKY and Quentin ROBINOT all contributed to that success. Priego’s squad includes Spain’s Norbert TAULER and Carlos MACHADO, Sweden’s Hampus SÖDERLUND and Portugal’s Diogo CHEN. The Round of 16 will be contested over two legs, with the eight winners advancing to the quarterfinals. The ultimate goal remains a place at the HYLO Final Four in Saarbrücken on 8-9 May 2027. HYLO ETTU Champions League Men – Round of 16 Thursday, 12 November Friday, 13 November Saturday, 14 November