The 2025/26 season of the ETTU Champions League Men is about to begin, and the title defence by 1. FC Saarbrücken TT headlines what promises to be another spectacular campaign. The complete team rosters can be found here. Reigning Champions with a Star-Packed Line-Up The German club returns as the top seed after lifting the trophy for the past three seasons. Now, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT come back even more powerful—with a squad that reads like a who’s who of global table tennis. Saarbrücken has added one of the sport’s biggest names: FAN Zhendong, the reigning Olympic and World Champion, who boasts three Olympic and nine World Championship gold medals. Completing the team are Europe’s No. 1, Sweden’s charismatic Truls MOREGÅRD, No. 4 Darko JORGIC of Slovenia, and Germany’s own Patrick FRANZISKA (No. 6 in Europe). Romanian talent Eduard IONESCU and Japanese defender Yuto MURAMATSU round out what is arguably the strongest roster in European club competition. Borussia Düsseldorf, the six-time Champions League winners and six-time Europe Cup of Champions titleholders, return as the No. 2 seed—this time without Timo BOLL. After missing out in the last three finals, they are back with a proven trio: Dang QIU (Europe’s No. 8), Anton KÄLLBERG (Europe’s No. 7), and American Kanak JHA. Borussia remains one of the most decorated and consistent teams in the competition’s history. Top Contenders Across the Board KS Dartom Bogoria Mazowiecki (Poland), last year’s HYLO Champions League Final 4 semi-finalists, are led by Milosz REDZIMSKI (ER 18), Panagiotis GIONIS (ER 36), and Marek BADOWSKI. Just one place lower in the seedings, KS Dekorglass Działdowo, 2025 quarter-finalists, boost Poland’s presence. Their line-up includes Croatia’s Tomislav PUCAR (ER 17), China’s Yingchao HOU, and Poland’s Samuel KULCZYCKI and Jakub DYJAS. Austria’s SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt, seeded No. 5, feature Romania’s Andrei ISTRATE (ER 54), alongside Slovenia’s Peter HRIBAR, Iran’s Navid SHAMS, and Japan’s Shunsuke OKANO. Another HYLO Champions League Final 4 semi-finalist, KS Bank Spółdzielczy Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów, counts on Deni KOZUL (ER 28) and Mateusz ZALEWSKI (ER 109), with reinforcements from Korea’s Seungmin CHO (WR 69) and Japan’s Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA (WR 103). GV Hennebont TT (France), seeded No. 7, bring a strong international lineup including Simon GAUZY (ER 16), Yuanyu CHEN (WR 19), Rubio WEN (WR 35), and Qihao ZHOU (WR 40). HB Ostrov (Czechia), last season’s ETTU Europe Cup Men winners, are seeded No. 8 with Australia’s Fin LUU (WR 44), Vladislav URSU (ER 47), and Pavel SIRUCEK (ER 76). AS Pontoise CERGY TT (France) leads with Liam PITCHFORD (ER 19), supported by Quadri ARUNA and Czechia’s Tomas POLANSKY. Post SV Mühlhausen (Germany), seeded No. 10, field Marcos FREITAS (ER 12), Ovidiu IONESCU (ER 30), and Gaoyuan LIN (WR 26), bringing world-class depth. SPG Felbemayr Wels (Austria), seeded No. 11, are led by Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK (ER 74) and Felix WETZEL (ER 197). SF SKK El Nino Praha, seeded No. 12, feature Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA (ER 152). Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier TT, seeded No. 13, are guaranteed to attract attention with the explosive LEBRUN brothers, Félix (ER 2) and Alexis ER 3), spearheading their campaign. 24 Clubs, One Title – The Race Begins A total of 24 clubs will compete in the 2025/26 ETTU Champions League Men. The action begins from 29 to 31 August 2025, with Stage 1 hosted in Novi Sad, Serbia, alongside the Women’s Champions League. You can see the Stage 1 draw [here]. Stage 1, features 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. With Olympic champion, World Top 10 players, rising stars, and Europe’s elite clubs in action, the 2025/26 season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory. From the opening match to the final showdown, fans can expect high-level drama, intensity, and pure table tennis excellence.
ETTU Champions League Women 2025/26 Season Set to Begin: Europe’s Elite Clubs Ready for Action
The 2025/26 season of the ETTU Champions League Women is about to begin, and with it comes a significant step forward in the evolution of European club competitions. As part of its ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence, ETTU is introducing the Final 4 format to the Champions League Women for the first time, following the successful implementation of the concept in the Champions League Men two years ago. This major development highlights ETTU’s dedication to enhancing visibility, competitiveness, and prestige in the women’s club competition landscape. With the European Club Rankings determining the seedings stage is set for thrilling encounters, high-calibre performances, and fierce competition from the very first serve. The full team rosters can be found here. At the top of the seeding list is KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg (POL), a dominant force in recent years with four ETTU Champions League titles. With Olympic silver medallist and defensive star Ying HAN (ER 6) leading the squad, joined by Japan’s Satsuki ODO (WR 9) and Portugal’s veteran Fu YU (ER 12), they enter as title favourites. Last year, they lost their crown in the semifinals to the 2025 winners, Germany’s ttc berlin eastside. This year, they will try to regain their title with the reinforcement of ODO, who is a silver medallist at the 2025 World Championships in Doha and a two-time gold medallist at the 2024 Asian Games in Astana. Last season’s finalists, Metz TT (FRA), who also finished as runners-up in 2023, are seeded No. 2, featuring France’s star Charlotte LUTZ (ER 16), Egypt’s Hana GODA (WR 24), Romania’s Adina DIACONU (ER 26), and Luxembourg’s Sarah De NUTTE (ER 42), bringing together an impressive multinational lineup. Reigning champions, Germany’s ttc berlin eastside, return as serious contenders with a strong roster, including Japan’s Miyuu KIHARA (WR 20), a new reinforcement serving as a strong response to KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg’s addition of ODO. KIHARA clinched bronze in Doubles at the 2025 World Championships, as well as bronze in 2023 in Durban, and two silver medals in the Team World Championships in 2022 (Chengdu) and 2024 (Busan). Nina MITTELHAM (ER 9), Natalia BAJOR (ER 14), and Xiaona SHAN (ER 13) continue to anchor the team’s ambitions. Serbia’s Sabina SURJAN (ER 37), Mia GRIESEL (ER 53), and China’s Weishan LIU (WR 55) are also listed. ttc berlin eastside has clinched the Champions League Women title six times in the club’s history. Seeded at position No. 4 is Etival ASRTT (FRA), spearheaded by Portugal’s Jieni SHAO (ER 9), Sweden’s Christina KÄLLBERG (ER 22), and Australia’s Liu YANGZI. ETTU Champions League semifinalists Saint-Quentin TT are listed as the No. 5 seed, with Linda BERGSTRÖM (ER 11), Barbora VARADY (ER 41), and Camille LUTZ (ER 51) in the line-up. Two-time ETTU Champions League winners, Linz AG Froschberg (AUT), feature Thai star Suthasini SAWETTABUT (WR 126), Dutch ace Britt EERLAND (ER 20), and Croatia’s Ivana MALOBABIC (ER 31). Among the top eight are No. 7 seed ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari, with Tania PLAIAN (ER 111) and Elizabet ABRAAMIAN (WR 126), and No. 8 seed UCAM Cartagena T.M. (ESP), which includes Maria XIAO (ER 8), Tin-Tin HO (ER 49), and Daniela ORTEGA (WR 106)—all aiming for a deep run. Seeded at position No. 12 is French club Saint Denis TT, with Prithika PAVADE (ER 7), Hana ARAPOVIC (ER 33), and China’s Siqi FAN (WR 33), one of the favourites despite their team seeding. The French club clinched the Europe Cup Women’s title last season, repeating their success from the 2020/21 season. The action begins from 29 to 31 August 2025, with Stage 1 hosted in Novi Sad, Serbia, alongside the Men’s Champions League. You can see the Stage 1 draw here. In the 2025/26 season, clubs seeded from positions 9 to 16 will compete in Stage 1, consisting of two groups of four teams. The group winner and runners-up will join the automatically qualified top eight seeds in Stage 2 in which there will be four groups made up of three clubs in each. The winners and runners-up from each Stage 2 group will qualify for the quarterfinals, which will be played as home-and-away matches. The winning teams will then proceed to the Final 4.
Dang QIU defeats World No. 1 Shidong LIN
Germany’s Dang QIU has reached the quarterfinals of the WTT Champions tournament in Yokohama with a surprise victory over world number one Shidong LIN (China). For the 2022 European Champion, it was his first win against the Asian star in their fourth encounter. World No. 13 Dang QIU prevailed in an equally thrilling and high-quality battle against the world’s top-ranked player, winning 13:11, 4:11, 6:11, 11:6, 12:10. After his impressive performance, the 28-year-old said: “The match against LIN went very well. I’m in good shape and feel in great form here in Yokohama. Now I’m looking forward to the match against Kanak JHA.” In the battle for a place in the semifinals, the two Borussia Düsseldorf teammates will meet in the early hours of Sunday. Dang QIU will face his new club colleague Kanak JHA (USA), against whom he has won both of their previous international encounters.
Media Accreditation Open for 2025 European Team Championships in Zadar
The media accreditation process for the 2025 European Team Championships, set to take place in Zadar on 12th October to 19th October, is open. Journalists, photographers, and professional social media content creators are invited to submit their applications via the official Championships site. In addition to traditional media representatives, a dedicated accreditation path is available for social media professionals. Accreditation will be granted by the ETTU and the LOC based on digital media criteria and space availability. Social Media Content Creators and Field of Play (FoP) Access To gain access to the Field of Play, social media content creators must: Once approved, content creators will receive official event bibs from the organizing committee. These bibs must be worn at all times while on the Field of Play and must be returned after each team’s match. Without an official bib, access to the FoP is strictly prohibited. Field of Play Regulations To ensure an undisturbed event environment, the following rules apply: ETTU reserves the right to revoke access or remove individuals who fail to comply with these rules. Access to Mixed Zones and Press Tribune Content creators may enter the mixed zone with prior approval from the ETTU Media Manager. They are also permitted to take photos from the press tribune, provided they do so discreetly and without disrupting others. Social Media Collaboration and Tagging Guidelines All accredited content creators are asked to:
ETTU to Launch Coach Education System in 2025
ETTU is proud to announce the launch of the ETTU Coach Education System (CES), developed in cooperation with ASCENT Academy, with implementation starting in 2025. You can see the document here. The CES provides a structured pathway for the education and certification of European table tennis coaches at three levels, covering participation, performance development, and high-performance coaching. Each level combines online learning modules in key areas of sport science with in-person practical sessions focused on table tennis-specific content. ETTU will offer a number of scholarships to support the participation of eligible candidates. Further information, including application guidelines, course calendar, and selection criteria, will be shared shortly. We encourage you to identify suitable candidates and to forward this information to coaches or former players who may be interested.
Havířov to Host U23 Para-Eurotalents Development Camp in September
ETTU is pleased to announce that the U23 Para-Eurotalents Development Camp powered by JOOLA will be held in Havířov, Czech Republic, from 7 to 12 September 2025. Organised in close cooperation with the Czech Table Tennis Association, empowered by ITTF and hosted at the renowned National Training Center Havířov (NTC Havířov), the camp will bring together some of Europe’s most promising para table tennis talents for a week of intensive training, development, and collaboration. Under the guidance of the ETTU Head Coach and assistant coaches, as well as Local Organising Committee Head Coach XU Kai and Assistant Coach Marek ČIHÁK, participants will benefit from world-class training facilities and expert coaching. The venue NTC Havířov is located in Central Europe, near the Polish and Slovak borders and it offers everything under one roof: modern sports hall with 32 tables, fitness centre, conference rooms, restaurant and hotel, nearby football field and indoor swimming pool. Additional accommodation will be provided at Hotel Rudolf (3*), situated just 3 minutes from the venue. Each ETTU Member Association is invited to register an unlimited number of players. ETTU will fully cover hospitality costs (accommodation, meals, and local transport) for one U23 para player and one coach per association. Transport from/to Ostrava (CZE), Katowice (POL), and Krakow (POL) airports/train/bus stations is included. Free parking is available for those arriving by car. Para players over the age of 23 are also welcome to participate, but at their own or their association’s expense. Preliminary entry deadline: 24 August 2025
ETTU Launches EUROSPINS: New Development Program for Europe’s Brightest Young Talents
The ETTU is proud to unveil EUROSPINS, a brand-new development initiative designed to support Europe’s most promising young table tennis players. The program will offer selected athletes the unique opportunity to train in a high-performance environment alongside top-level Asian sparring partners. EUROSPINS aims to bridge the training gap between continents by providing intensive, high-quality practice conditions that mirror the standards of elite international competition. This initiative forms part of ETTU’s long-term commitment to nurturing emerging talent and strengthening Europe’s competitive position on the global stage. The first EUROSPINS activity is scheduled to take place from 10 to 22 December 2025. Participation will be based on a selection process taking place in October 2025, shortly after the conclusion of the European Youth Top 10 event.
Eurotalents Selection Camp II Set for August in Riga
The ETTU Eurotalents Selection Camp II powered by JOOLA will take place in Riga, Latvia, from August 3 to 9, 2025, gathering Europe’s most promising young table tennis players. Hosted at the O. Kalpaks Riga Folk-Art Primary School sports hall, the camp will feature 20 tables and involve top coaching staff including VALLOT Vainula and Zvonimir KORENIC alongside physical coach Tatiana GARNOVA.. Each member association nominated up to 3 boys and 3 girls born in 2013 or later, alongside their national or personal coaches. The best evaluated players will earn direct selection into the Eurotalents Program 2026. The Hanza Hotel will serve as the official accommodation, located within walking distance from the venue. The participation fee covers full board and local transport, with ETTU subsidizing one boy and one girl per association.
Novi Sad to Host Stage 1 of ETTU Champions League Men and Women
The ETTU is pleased to announce that Stage 1 of the ETTU Champions League Men 2025/26 will take place in Novi Sad, Serbia, from 29 to 31 August 2025. The event will be held alongside Stage 1 of the ETTU Champions League Women, marking an exciting joint launch of Europe’s premier club competitions for the new season.
ETTU Announces New Development Support for Member Associations in 2025
The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) has unveiled a new wave of development support for its Member Associations in 2025, as part of a broader collaboration with the ITTF Participation Program. Member Associations interested in participating are invited to submit their expressions of interest via email to projects@ettu.org by Monday, 18 August 2025. Following the deadline, selected applicants will be notified about the specific form of support they will receive. This initiative is part of a three-year development strategy (2025–2027), through which 18 Member Associations will benefit annually from one of three tailored development opportunities: 1. Member Association Activities On-site, co-funded activities such as coach education courses, regional training camps, or other hands-on projects aimed at developing players and coaches. These are delivered with the support of independent or ETTU/ITTF experts. 2. National Projects/NAAP Member Association-led national projects such as youth or women’s development programs, school-based initiatives, or national team training, are designed and managed locally with financial support from ETTU. 3. ITTF Online Services Up to 10 hours of tailored online support from ITTF experts. Topics can include governance, strategic planning, talent identification, event management, or coach development. These remote sessions are especially beneficial for smaller associations and are adapted to the local context. All Member Associations are welcome to apply and are eligible to be part of the program. However, priority will be given to associations in Categories 3 and 4 that are not receiving NAAP support in 2025. ETTU will assess each application and assign the type of support to ensure a balanced distribution. This project is delivered in collaboration with the ITTF Participation Program, which helps expand services and reduce the administrative burden for associations. More information about the ITTF Participation Program and online services is available here. We look forward to receiving your expressions of interest.
