Today January 23rd (19:30 CET) TTCLM quarter-finals will be opened by the game in France
The 2018/19 TTCLM quarter-finals will be opened today January 23rd (19:30 CET) by the clash between two teams that won six titles between them in last seven seasons. Two-time champion AS Pontoise Cergy faces four-time winner TTC Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg.
“Receiving the Orenburg team is not the best draw for us” stated coach of French club Christian ADAM. “They are certainly the favorites of the competition this season and we know it will be difficult! In the past we have already beaten Orenburg and our record against them is not bad. We will therefore play our best chance. Moreover it is always a pleasure to play against Orenburg and Marcos FREITAS’ return “home” after 7 seasons at the club will be an event in itself!”
Second seeded Russian club left group stage (Group D) with a perfect 6-0 win-loss record as unique unbeaten team so far while second placed Group A side Pontoise had 4-2. The upcoming encounter will be a reprise of the 2013/14 finals when French side lifted the trophy. Two years after that finals Pontoise again prevailed (5:4 on aggregate) in the semi-final contest what was decisive for their second and last TTCLM crown so far. Four-time winner Orenburg celebrated twice last year within Group A.
Orenburg’s team manager Victor ANDREEV emphasized earlier speaking for ETTU website that “the management of the TTC Fakel-Gazprom has set a serious task for the team – to win the European Champions League for the fifth time”. He praised Pontoise as a good table tennis organization while now president of French club Louise ADAM replies in the same manner.
“For me Orenburg is and will always be a club for which I have a particular “affection”… We started together more than 10 years ago and our relations with Victor ANDREEV in particular have always been warm and friendly. Moreover seeing Marcos again will be a real pleasure! Let’s hope that for this umpteenth confrontation the show and the emotions will be at the rendezvous this 23rd of January…”
2018/19 TTCLM quarter-finals (1stleg)
AS Pontoise Cergy – Fakel-Gazprom (Jan 23 19:30 CET)
K.S. Dartom Bogoria – Borussia Dusseldorf (Jan 24 18:00 CET)
Post SV Muhlhausen – TTSC UMMC (Jan 25 19:00 CET)
SPG Walter Wels – Vaillante Sports Angers (Jan 25 19:30 CET)
