During the HYLO Champions League Final 4, sensational news spread like wildfire through the Saarlandhalle Saarbrücken—and soon after, headlines echoed across the globe: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT have signed Paris 2024 Olympic Champion FAN Zhendong for the upcoming season.
How did it happen?
“Patrick (FRANZISKA) and Fan have a great relationship. No matter who wins when they play, they always text each other—just small talk. Patrick jokingly said, ‘Come on, join me in Germany.’ And suddenly we had contact with him. Everything moved so fast,” recalled General Manager Nicolas BARROIS.
“That was just two and a half weeks ago when we spoke to him for the first time. Then things started to move quickly. Yesterday, I couldn’t believe it when I saw the signed contract. It was the first time I saw his signature—it felt surreal. And then it just exploded. It was all over CCTV in China, all over the media in Germany and across Europe.”
The signing sent shockwaves through the table tennis world.
“Our coach Jimmy told me that China went into a frenzy over this. It’s amazing news—not just for Germany, but for Europe and for table tennis globally. I truly believe this will take the German League and Champions League to the next level.”
Fan’s move was finalized just in time for league registration.
“We had to submit the final registration for the German League yesterday, so it had to be done quickly. Now we will start planning with Fan about his availability. He will still play national matches in China and needs to be there for several weeks, so we’ll coordinate everything accordingly.”
Fan is also keen on integrating into European life.
“He really likes Germany. He’s excited to be here with Patrick and to get shown around. I think he’ll also spend time with Truls and Darko—they’ll help him get a feel for life in Europe.”
Patrick FRANZISKA shared his excitement about playing alongside FAN Zhendong:
“When you think about his level, there’s not much to say—everyone knows it. It’s a huge honour for all of us to have him at our club. That he chose to come to Germany and to Saarbrücken means a lot. I’ll try to show him all the nice places in Saarbrücken and Saarland—Paris isn’t far either! I just want him to feel good and have a great time here.”
Franziska laughed as he added:
“Maybe he can even show me a bit of his footwork and how to hit a proper forehand and backhand.”
“We don’t yet know how many matches he’ll be able to play, but after the signing became official, we talked on the phone and he was really happy—free, excited, and ready for a new adventure. We all feel honoured and we’ll do our best to give something back, to train well with him, and show him a bit of Germany.”
The significance of the transfer is not lost on Franziska:
“It’s a milestone. Yes, we had top Chinese players in the league before—Shang Kun, for example—but FAN Zhendong is on another level. What Nico [BARROIS] managed to pull off—signing Fan and organizing this Final Four—is unbelievable. I usually get replies from him instantly on WhatsApp, but this time he went silent, so I knew he was under a lot of pressure. But this is incredible—for our club, for German table tennis, and for the entire sport in Europe. It doesn’t get much bigger than this.”
