The 2025 ETTU Champions League Women and Men Stage 1 commenced today in Novi Sad. Over three days of play, two top clubs from each group will secure their place in the next stage.
The greatest upset on the opening day came from Europe Cup quarterfinalists Real Club Cajasur Priego TM. The Spanish side, featuring Hampus SÖDERLUND, Carlos MACHADO, and Alejandro CALVO, defeated the highest-seeded club on duty in Novi Sad — French AS Pontoise Cergy TT, with Europe’s no. 19 Liam PITCHFORD, Alexandre CASSIN, and Flavio MOURIER. PITCHFORD lost both of his matches, first to MACHADO and then to CALVO.
“We came here without Robert GARDOS. We were under pressure and disappointed with the situation, and our chances looked slimmer. Eventually, I had to play, and it was so satisfying for me because, at the age of 45, I managed to beat PITCHFORD in the opener. Such a good start boosted our confidence and motivation. We kept the pressure on until the victory,” said MACHADO.
No. 2 seeds in Stage 1, Germany’s Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. last season’s Europe Cup semifinalists, prevailed against Polish club Dojlidy Białystok, but not without a fight. The Polish side stretched the contest to the full distance, with Patryk CHOJNOWSKI and Piotr CHODORSKI both overcoming Cheng-Ting LIAO. Ovidiu IONESCU proved to be the backbone of the German team’s success with two wins, while Kay STUMPER added one more.
Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier, led by Europe’s no. 3 Alexis LEBRUN, overcame ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi in straight matches.
“Last year we had a difficult draw against Borussia Düsseldorf in the quarterfinals, playing for a place in the Final 4. It was our first really big challenge as a team, but it was a very good experience. After that match, we improved a lot, which is why we won the French Championships. We are happy about last year, but now we are moving forward. Our goal is to perform well in the Champions League and to reach at least the quarterfinals, hopefully even the Final 4, which would be a great achievement for the club. Of course, it will not be easy. Even here we are not the top seeds in our group, and we came without Félix LEBRUN and Esteban DORR, but still we have a strong team,” said the coach Vincent AVRIL.
Alexis LEBRUN arrived in Novi Sad following a one-month break after hand surgery.
“This is my first tournament after the break, and I am happy to return to a good level in competition. I have done a lot of training. All the teams in our group have good players. Of course, we are favorites, but it is never easy to win in the Champions League. So far, we are doing well,” said LEBRUN.
n the men’s event, Stage 1 features four groups of four clubs each, seeded from position nine onwards. The top eight seeds are directly qualified for the Round of 16. The top two teams from each Stage 1 group will progress to join them. From that point, the Champions League Men will follow a knockout format, with two-legged ties in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals, before the four winners advance to the Final 4.
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