On the opening day at the European Team Championships, Olympic bronze medalists and World silver medalists, team France commenced their quest for European medal rostrum in Zadar with a convincing win over Spain. The best-ranked European player on duty in Zadar, Felix LEBRUN, recorded two victories on the opening day, against Daniel BERZOSA and Alvaro ROBLES. ROBLES also fell to the older LEBRUN brother, Alexis, while Juan PEREZ claimed Spain’s only point by defeating Simon GAUZY. “Berzosa started very strong, he’s such a good player, but I managed to come back and secure the win ,” said Felix LEBRUN.“Next in line is Hungary. We expect a tough match, but I think today we played very well and can continue to perform at this level. We have a strong team, and our goal is the title, but we know it will not be easy.” Sweden’s Mattias FALCK, Anton KALLBERG, and Elias RANEFUR opened their campaign in Zadar with a convincing 3–0 victory over Türkiye’s Abdullah YIGENLER, Ibrahim GÜNDÜZ, and Tugay YILMAZ. Anton KALLBERG reflected on the positive start:“We had a very good experience today. Winning 3–0 is always satisfying, and we can be happy with our performance. We’re looking forward to playing more matches and keeping the momentum going.” Asked about the team’s ambitions and the absence of Truls MÖREGÅRDH, he said: “Truls missing the event is a big blow for us, of course, but we’re still dreaming of defending our title from last time. It’s going to be tough, but that has to be our goal.” KALLBERG also praised his teammate’s composure:“Mattias did really well. Maybe he didn’t play his very best table tennis, but he managed to stay strong in the tight moments, winning two very close games. That’s what matters going forward, building confidence and learning to stay calm at 9–9 or 10–10, finding solutions when it really counts.” “We have no pressure on us, we feel like we have nothing to lose. We all want to perform well, and we believe we can fight for medals again. It’s just a great feeling to be back at the European Championships.” Mattias FALCK agreed that the team made a solid start. “The first match is always a bit nerve-racking, but we started well. A 3–0 victory is a great way to begin, we all won our matches, and that gives us confidence for tomorrow.” He emphasized Sweden’s medal ambitions despite the team’s injury setback: “We want to fight for the medals as always. Unfortunately, Truls is injured, and we’re missing our number one, but we’re still aiming for a strong tournament and hopefully to reach the final.” Reflecting on his own match, FALCK added: “The margins are always small at this level. It was a close match, and my opponent played well. I just tried to stay calm and sometimes do something unexpected, a different serve or receive, when the score got tight. The key was to keep my cool. Usually, I’m more nervous at the beginning of a match, but it gets easier as it goes on. I just try to focus on each point, stay composed, and follow my game plan.” Romania prevailed against the Netherlands, though the start was anything but easy. Iulian CHIRITA was pushed to the full distance against Gabrielius CAMARA, while Eduard IONESCU needed one game fewer to overcome Kas VAN OOST, and Ovidiu IONESCU completed the job against Barry BERBEN. “It was a hard match we knew they had good players. The first matches are always tough, and I hope we’ll get better with every round,” said Iulian CHIRITA. “I also had a small accident with my racket I had to change it because I tore a rubber, but I still managed to stay focused. It was a good start for the team; the boys did their jobs, and we’re happy to start the Championships with a 3–0 win.” The clash between Portugal and Greece ended in favor of the Portuguese team. Joao GERALDO beat Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS, Tiago ABIODUN overcame Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS, and although Joao MONTEIRO lost to Panagiotis GIONIS, he later sealed the overall victory by defeating SGOUROPOULOS. “ GIONIS and I have known each other for more than 20 years, we’ve played so many matches. Today was his turn to win, but it was a very good match,” said Joao MONTEIRO. “Eventually, I managed to recover and win against Ioannis, and we hope to continue in this shape throughout the event.” Host nation Croatia represented by Tomislav PUCAR, Andrej GAĆINA, and Frane KOJIC, kept the home supporters at the edge of their seats with a thrilling 3–2 victory over Moldova’s Andrei PUTUNTICA, Vladislav URSU, and Denis TERNA. PUCAR defeated both PUTUNTICA and URSU, while TERNA overcame KOJIC. GAĆINA lost to URSU but clinched the decisive match against PUTUNTICA to secure the win. Croatian Men’s Team Coach Neven KARKOVIĆ said: “We expected a tough and close match like this. We hoped it wouldn’t be, but in the end, it was. There were many twists and turns. They didn’t really surprise us, except perhaps PUTUNTICA, who played much better than we had seen before. He caused us problems even though he lost both of his matches. As for PUCAR, that’s what I really want to highlight. He played superbly. The first match he started a bit nervously, which is completely normal under pressure, he simply couldn’t afford to lose. But in his second match, against their best player, he was absolutely brilliant. I think he surprised everyone, the opponent, the crowd, the TV viewers, and even me personally. So dominant and composed, he swept their number one in the first two sets, which brought us all back after the earlier shock when KOJIC lost to Moldova’s third.” Tomislav PUCAR added:“It was a difficult match, just as we expected. We knew they were a tricky opponent. They were seeded third in the group based on rankings, but that doesn’t reflect their true level, they simply do not play many international events. The

The start of the 2025 European Team Championships in Zadar already brought an upset of major proportions. Seeded only No. 18 in the Women’s Event, the Netherlands overcame third-seeded France after a long, dramatic clash that featured an outstanding comeback by Britt EERLAND and Jie LI, securing victory for the Dutch team. Favourites for the title, France opened the duel strongly, Jia Nan YUAN swept EERLAND 3–0 in the opening match. Prithika PAVADE then faced a much tougher challenge; Jie LI forced her to go the full distance before France established a 2–0 lead. Shuohan MEN gave the Netherlands some breathing space with a win over Charlotte LUTZ, before EERLAND pushed the match into the decider with a determined performance against PAVADE. The final duel between Jie LI and Jia Nan YUAN was a nerve-racking battle that eventually went to a dramatic fifth game. “It’s a great feeling to win a match like this. As a team we always believed we could come back, especially now, with Jie LI back in the squad, we wanted to prove we can still fight for everything. Shuohan also showed great fighting spirit, and I’m proud of what we achieved together. We gave everything, and we deserved this win,” said Britt EERLAND. It was also a significant comeback on an individual level. Eerland, currently ranked No. 27 in Europe, defeated PAVADE, who holds the No. 8 position. “Our matches are always tight. Today it was about handling the moment, both sides felt the pressure, and in the end it wasn’t about tactics but about who could keep the quality in the rallies. Even if I had lost, I would have been proud of how I played and how I fought,” Britt said. On LI’s victory, Eerland added: “We already knew Jie could beat YUAN and that it would be a tough match. The most important thing was for her to stay patient, we kept reminding her of that during coaching. We all believe in each other, and that belief made the difference.” Both EERLAND and LI returned to the national team this season after their breaks. “My last international match was in 2019, so I had almost five years away from competition. Now that my child is a little older, it’s easier to travel and play again, and I still love the sport, so coming back felt natural,” said Jie LI. “I had to stop playing for a while because of COVID-19. Now I value every match even more and want to be a good example for my son. Both Britt and I came back after breaks, this is our first European Championship since returning,” she added. Asked about playing the deciding match, Li explained: “I had already played against Yuan in the French league, so I knew it would be difficult, but I was familiar with her style. At such a big event the emotions are stronger, so I focused mainly on the mental side of the game.” Looking ahead to their next opponent, Spain, EERLAND said: “We haven’t really thought about that yet. We’ll have a rest day tomorrow, but we’ll come to the hall to watch their match and prepare. This win gives us a lot of confidence for what’s ahead. And now, as both of us are mums, we’ll enjoy morning sessions even more,” she laughed. It was not only the Netherlands celebrating the return of experienced players, Ukraine also started successfully, defeating Türkiye, with Tetyana BILENKO back in the national team after a long absence. “It was my first match in a long time, I hadn’t played for the national team for four years. I was a bit nervous, but I’m happy I could show my best game. The atmosphere in our team is very positive, and there were many nice emotions,” said BILENKO. Meanwhile, Portugal’s Fu YU, Jieni SHAO, and Matilde PINTO defeated Belgium’s Lilou MASSART, Margo DEGRAEF, and Julie VAN HAUWAERT comfortably, 3–0. “For a first match, I felt good and played solidly. We didn’t expect major problems today. Our goal as a team is to win a medal, step by step. The next match against Czechia will be harder, but we are ready for it,” said Jieni SHAO. Poland’s Anna BRZYSKA, Natalia BAJOR, and Katarzyna WEGRZYN overcame Bulgaria’s Maria YOVKOVA, Tsvetelina GEORGIEVA, and Kalina HRISTOVA after a shaky start. Yovkova opened with a win over BRZYSKA, but BAJOR turned the momentum, leading Poland to victory. “We managed to come back and hope to perform better next time. The first rounds are always tough, but we’ll keep pushing and do our best. It’s a strong competition, and we believe we can continue to perform well,” said Katarzyna WEGRZYN. Sweden Overcame Greece in Straight Matches. Christina KALLBERG, Linda BERGSTRÖM, and Filippa BERGAND delivered strong performances at the start, giving Sweden a confident opening victory over Greece. “I’m really proud of the team for making such a strong start. I think we all did what we needed to do and produced solid performances. It’s always tough to begin a tournament — normally you feel a bit nervous — but in the end, I think we were all quite stable,” said Christina KALLBERG. “I think I played well and was the better player in this match. I stayed more active, managed to play my game all the way through, and it worked well.” Reigning champions Germany began their title defence with a solid 3–0 victory over Slovenia, led by Sabine WINTER in her new role as the team’s number one. “We have a great team, and it doesn’t really matter who takes the lead. Of course, I’ll do everything I can to contribute my best and I’m happy to step in as the leading player when needed. Starting a tournament with a 3–0 win is always positive. Annett had a tighter match but handled it well in the fifth set, which will help her confidence going forward. I’m happy with my own match, and Yuan finished it off decisively.

The European Team Championships 2025 (October 12–19, 2025) will bring together 24 men’s and 24 women’s national teams, representing the very elite of European table tennis, as they compete for continental glory at the Višnjik Sports Hall in Zadar. Fans across Europe and around the world will be able to follow the event through a wide network of national and international broadcasters, as well as via the official ETTU OTT. Coverage of the Championships will be available across the following networks and territories: These are the broadcasters geoblocked on ETTU OTT These channels show the matches, some matches, or highlights without geoblock on ETTU OTT ETTU.tv – Global Access In all regions not covered by the broadcasters listed above, fans will have full access to every match through ETTU.tv, featuring: Geoblocking Notice Due to regional broadcasting rights, ETTU.tv content will be geoblocked in the territories covered by official rightsholders listed above. Viewers outside these regions will enjoy unrestricted live and on-demand access to the entire event via the ETTU.tv platform.

On Saturday, 11 October, the final countdown began before the start of the 38th European Table Tennis Team Championships in Zadar. The clock now measures hours rather than days — the first matches are scheduled for Sunday, 12 October, at 10:00 a.m. Less than 24 hours before the opening serve, Croatia’s representatives met the media at a press conference: Lea RAKOVAC and Andrej GAĆINA, national coaches Dragutin ŠURBEK Jr. and Neven KARKOVIĆ, and Josipa ZAJEC, Head of the European Championships Office. Lea RAKOVAC spoke first. “This is a team competition, where collective success is more important than individual performance. The key is that every player feels good and approaches each match with focus, energy, and a positive attitude. The atmosphere in our team is excellent and we want to keep it that way. We hope the home crowd will support us in large numbers — their energy can make a big difference,” said Rakovac, currently ranked No. 24 in Europe. Women’s team coach Dragutin ŠURBEK Jr. underlined the significance of finishing among the top two in the group, where Croatia will face England and Italy. “We start against England, and in that match we are the favourites. The priority is to qualify from the group, as doing so would automatically secure a place at the 2026 World Team Championships in London. Our players have vast experience from major international events, including European, World, and Olympic competitions. The leading contenders here are Romania, Germany, and France, with strong challenges also expected from Portugal, Sweden, and Austria with European Champion Sofia POLCANOVA. Finishing first in the group would give us a better draw in the round of 16,” said Šurbek. Men’s team coach Neven KARKOVIĆ noted the changes in modern table tennis and how the growing number of international events affects players and preparation. “The calendar has changed significantly in recent years — it now resembles tennis in intensity. Next year there will be as many as 60 international tournaments. At the same time, players earn most of their income through club leagues, which adds another layer of complexity. Maintaining form throughout the season is demanding; table tennis is a sensitive sport where even small changes in confidence can influence results. The players are very motivated, especially as they are competing at home in Zadar. The main title contenders are France, Sweden, and Germany, but every team will look for its chance,” he said. For years Croatia’s leading player, Andrej GAĆINA remains the country’s highest-ranked man in Europe (No. 16), just ahead of Tomislav PUCAR. Competing in his hometown brings an extra emotional dimension. “Playing the European Championships in my hometown is a special moment. It’s a privilege to represent Croatia here in Zadar. The goal for all of us is to give our best and enjoy every moment of the competition,” said GACINA. The Croatian men’s team will be the first to take to the tables on Sunday at 16:00, facing Moldova. “Our full focus is on the opening match against Moldova. They are a very competitive team, their top player was the best in the Polish league last year, one of the strongest in Europe. Austria will be our second opponent, and we have met them at most major events in recent years. Those matches are always close and demanding,” he commented. Reflecting briefly on his early beginnings, GACINA recalled that his table tennis journey started in Zadar during his childhood, training with his brother on a homemade table. “This is where it all began for me, and competing here again brings back great memories,” he added. Josipa ZAJEC, Head of the European Championships Office, closed the press conference by highlighting the scale of the event’s organisation. “Organising a tournament of this size cannot be compared to a WTT Contender in Zagreb, which can be prepared in two months. The preparation for this championship began a year ago. The biggest challenge was securing the financial structure, but thanks to the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Zadar, and numerous sponsors, we have met the high standards of the European Table Tennis Union — from venue branding and TV production to the logistics of welcoming more than 600 participants through the airports of Zadar and Split. Everything is ready, and we are proud of the result,” said ZAJEC.

From October 12 to 19, the city of Zadar will become the heart of European table tennis, hosting the European Team Championships 2025. The spectacular Višnjik Sports Hall will welcome 24 men’s and 24 women’s national teams, gathering over 200 elite athletes, including Olympic and European medalists, for eight thrilling days of competition. This year’s edition carries a special sense of history: Zadar was the stage for the very first European Top 12 tournament in 1971, the event that laid the foundations for Europe’s premier table tennis competitions. “We are truly thrilled to bring the European Team Championships to Zadar, the hometown of one of Europe’s greatest table tennis players Zoran PRIMORAC. This event represents the pinnacle of our competitions, showing not only the very best players in Europe but also the exceptional spirit and unity that define our sport,” said ETTU President Pedro MOURA. “We look forward to a week of world-class table tennis, filled with intensity, teamwork, and passion. The European Team Championships always embody the essence of our sport, national pride, fair play, and the highest level of competition. I am confident that both the athletes and the fans will enjoy an unforgettable experience in Zadar.” ETTU Vice President and President of the Croatian Table Tennis Association (HSTS), Zoran PRIMORAC, a legendary Zadar native and seven-time Olympian, expressed immense pride ahead of the Championship: “When I became President of the Association, my wish was to bring a major tournament to Croatia. And as someone from Zadar, it was my dream that the event would be held here. I hope this will be a wonderful tournament, a true festival of table tennis. I expect many spectators and fans to come so that we can promote our sport and our city. I am convinced that fans from all over Croatia will come to watch great table tennis stars, Olympic medalists, and to cheer on our own players who will be fighting for medals here,” said PRIMORAC. Men’s Competition – Sweden Defends, Germany Chases In 2023, Sweden clinched the European crown, defeating Germany 3–1 in the final. France and Portugal shared the bronze medals. This year, the Swedes enter Zadar as top seeds, led by Anton KÄLLBERG, Mattias FALCK, and Kristian KARLSSON, with Elias RANEFUR. Germany, seeded third, returns with Benedikt DUDA, Patrick FRANZISKA, and Dang QIU forming a world-class trio eager to reclaim the title they held in 2021. France (seed 2) remains a major contender with the LEBRUN brothers, Félix and Alexis, supported by Simon GAUZY and Thibault PORET, while Portugal (seed 4) again fields its experienced lineup of Tiago APOLONIA, João MONTEIRO, João GERALDO backed up with young Tiago ABIODUN. The host nation Croatia (seed 7), powered by Andrej GAĆINA, Tomislav PUCAR, and Filip ZELJKO, will rely on home energy to reach the later rounds. Other teams to watch include Denmark (seed 5, with Anders LIND and Jonathan GROTH), Romania (seed 6, featuring Ovidiu and Eduard IONESCU), and Slovenia (seed 11, led by Darko JORGIĆ). Women’s Competition – Germany Targets a Record 10th Title The German women’s team continues to set the standard in Europe. After their commanding 3–0 victory over Romania in the 2023 final, the reigning champions arrive in Zadar as top seeds with Sabine WINTER, Nina MITTELHAM, and Yuan WAN, supported by rising stars Annett KAUFMANN and Mia GRIESEL. Romania, the silver medalist and five-time European champion, is again among the favorites with Bernadette SZŐCS, Elizabeta SAMARA, Adina DIACONU, and Elena ZAHARIA. The French team (seed 3), Yuan Jia NAN, Prithika PAVADE, and Charlotte LUTZ, aims to challenge for gold after reaching the 2023 semifinals. Portugal (seed 4) completes the top four, led by Fu YU and Jieni SHAO. Croatia, seeded 7, hopes for a deep run at home with Lea RAKOVAC, Ivana MALOBABIĆ, Hana ARAPOVIĆ, and Mateja Jeger MAJSTOROVIĆ. Historic Atmosphere Ahead With top-class lineups, historic legacy, and passionate hosts, Zadar 2025 promises to deliver one of the most memorable European Team Championships in recent years a true celebration of excellence, sportsmanship, and European unity through table tennis. The competition runs from October 12 to 19 at Višnjik Sports Hall, where Europe’s best will once again battle for glory and for a place in the sport’s history books.

From October 12 to 19, Zadar will host the European Team Championships. The Višnjik Sports Hall will welcome 24 men’s and 24 women’s national teams, bringing together more than 200 athletes, including the very elite of European table tennis. Hosting such a prestigious event is a major recognition for Croatian sport. The details were presented at a press conference where the Croatian Table Tennis Association and OTP Bank signed a sponsorship agreement. ETTU Vice President Zoran PRIMORAC also the President of the Croatian Table Tennis Association (HSTS) and celebrated Zadar native with as many as seven Olympic appearances, emphasized the great honor of hosting the championship: “When I became President of the Association, my wish was to bring a major tournament to Croatia. And as someone from Zadar, it was my dream that the event would be held here in Zadar,” said PRIMORAC. He expressed gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian Olympic Committee, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the City of Zadar, and the County for their support. “I hope this will be a wonderful tournament, a true festival of table tennis. I expect many spectators and fans to come so that we can promote table tennis, a beautiful sport with a long tradition, and of course to promote Zadar as an attractive tourist and sports destination. I am convinced that fans from all over Croatia will come to watch great table tennis stars, Olympic medalists, and to cheer on our own players who will be fighting for medals here”. The Croatian men’s team will play in a group with Moldova and Austria, while the women’s team will seek a place in the knockout stage from a group with Italy and England. The championship also carries historic significance: in 1971, Zadar hosted the very first tournament for Europe’s best table tennis players under the name Top 12, which later became a respected regular competition.