Borussia Düsseldorf Fall Short in Final, Reflect on Narrow Defeat and the Rise of a Stronger Saarbrücken

After the 2025 HYLO Champions League Final 4 held last weekend, Borussia Düsseldorf—the most decorated club in the competition’s history—remain on six Champions League titles and six Europe Cup of Champions trophies. In the final at Saarlandhalle Saarbrücken, they were defeated by 1. FC Saarbrücken TT in a repeat of last year’s clash.

Anton KÄLLBERG gave Borussia the perfect start with a dramatic sudden death win over Patrick FRANZISKA. However, Dang QIU fell in straight games to Truls MÖREGÅRDH, and later lost another tight five-set duel against Franziska—again decided by a sudden death point. Darko JORGIĆ prevailed over Timo BOLL, marking Boll’s final appearance in the Champions League.

On Saturday, Borussia had advanced to the final with a convincing win over KS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki.

Coach Danny HEISTER reflected on the outcome:

“I think my team did everything they could, but it was not enough. There were some close matches, but in the end, Saarbrücken was stronger. They came out of the World Championships in great form. They now have three top players, all probably in the world’s top 20 or better. We had our chances, but didn’t convert. Still, the team gave everything.”

HEISTER also commented on individual performances:

“Dang wasn’t feeling great but still pushed to five sets and had match points. As for TIMO, I can only express my deepest respect for how he played against Darko. We’ll regroup and prepare for our next final in two weeks.”

KÄLLBERG was Borussia’s lone point scorer in the final and acknowledged the fine margins:

“It was full of ups and downs and sudden death finishes—extremely close. We’ve played so many times now, and it always comes down to the final point. Saarbrücken played at a very high level today. The way Darko beat Timo and the way Franziska played against Dang was impressive. They were simply the stronger team today. We’ll work to be better next time.”

Related News

Future International Referees Trained in Havířov

Last weekend, Havířov (Czechia) hosted a two-day educational workshop for prospective international referees, organised within the ETTU Referee Mentoring Program and held in conjunction with the WTT Youth Contender. The...

Read more

Women in Umpiring Webinar to Inspire and Connect

ETTU will host its second women-only webinar dedicated to umpiring on 19 April 2026 at 20:00 CET, bringing together experienced officials and emerging talents for an engaging and inspiring online...

Read more

Zwolle to Host 2026 Netherlands National Championships

The 2026 Netherlands National Championships will take place from 20 to 22 March at the Landstede Sportcentrum in Zwolle, bringing together the country’s top players to compete for national titles...

Read more

ITTF Equipment Assistance Programme 2026 Opens for Applications

The ITTF has launched applications for the Equipment Assistance Programme 2026, continuing its long-standing initiative to support member associations, particularly in developing regions. Since its introduction in 1999, the programme...

Read more

Contact

About Us

Privacy Policy

Terms and Conditions

The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport of table tennis in Europe, and is the only authority recognized for this purpose by the International Table Tennis Federation. The ETTU deals with all matters relating to table tennis at a European level, including the development and promotion of the sport in the territories controlled by its 58 member associations, and the organization of continental table tennis competitions, including the European Championships.

Powered By

All Competitions

Senior Competitions

Club Competitions

Youth Competitions

More Competitions