The 2025/26 season of the ETTU Champions League Men is about to begin, and the title defence by 1. FC Saarbrücken TT promises to be another spectacular campaign. In their opening Round of 16 match, the German powerhouse will face Dojlidy Białystok in Poland on 14 November 2025.
“I think it’s hard to talk about the shape of the players right now because there have been so many tournaments recently. I played the quarterfinals in Montpellier, and Patrick FRANZISKA is always consistent when it matters most. Patrick played last week in Frankfurt, while FAN is not with us at the moment as he’s competing at the Chinese Championships. I believe we’re in solid form and, of course, we’ll give our best. We know what the Champions League means, and we can’t wait to play the first match,” explained Darko JORGIC.
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 stronger—with a line-up that reads like a who’s who of global table tennis. The team has added one of the sport’s biggest names: FAN Zhendong, the reigning Olympic and World Champion, holder of three Olympic and nine World Championship gold medals.
The line-up also features Sweden’s charismatic Truls MOREGÅRD, Europe’s No. 1 Darko JORGIC of Slovenia (world No. 4), and Germany’s own Patrick FRANZISKA (Europe No. 5). Romanian prodigy Eduard IONESCU and Japanese defender Yuto MURAMATSU round out what is arguably the strongest roster in European club competition.
“The atmosphere in the team is great—it’s fun, but also very professional, exactly how I’ve always wanted it to be. We can’t wait for FAN to return, honestly. He’s a true professional, always ready both for training and for keeping the good spirit in the team. I hope he’ll stay with us next season as well, but we’ll see how things develop. He shows every day why he’s such a fantastic player and an Olympic champion. Of course, he needs some time to adapt, because everything here is different from China—tables, balls, style of play. It’s difficult for him, just as it is for all of us when we go to Asia, but we know he’s a true champion, and we can’t wait for him to join us again after the Asian Championships.”
Speaking about the Round of 16 encounter, JORGIC added:
“Against Dojlidy Białystok, it might be tricky because they have nothing to lose. They will surely give their all. I haven’t played with Konstantinos ANGELAKIS for maybe six years, and I haven’t faced the other players before. We are the favourites in this match, but anything can happen. The first leg is away, and we must show good play from start to finish. There will be some pressure, but I believe we can succeed and gain the advantage for the home match. We know it will be tough since they’re the hosts, which gives them an edge, but I hope for a good performance and form from all of us, to give our best and achieve the goal.”
JORGIC also commented on the team’s current position in the TTBL Bundesliga:
“We are all ready and well-prepared for the start. At the moment, we’re second in the Bundesliga, with the same number of points as the teams in third, fourth, and fifth place, and there’s still a lot to play for. We had two setbacks at the beginning of the season, but everyone knows how tough the Bundesliga is. I hope we’ll manage to reach the play-offs.”
