“I never would have thought it possible”: Reactions to the Liebherr TTBL Final4

With its triumph at the Liebherr TTBL Final4, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT has made history. After clinching the title, pride and gratitude were the prevailing emotions among the treble winners. Congratulations poured in from their Final opponent, Borussia Düsseldorf. The new Final format also received praise. Here are some reactions to the Liebherr TTBL Final4.

Patrick Franziska (1. FC Saarbrücken TT)

… on the treble: “I’m incredibly proud of the team. We were the favorites in every competition—but it’s incredibly close. We managed to handle that pressure. I moved to Saarbrücken ten years ago. If someone had told me back then that we’d eventually win the treble, I wouldn’t have thought it possible.”

… after his singles victory over Anton Källberg: “Anton is a whirlwind; he plays so fast. I had to play very tactically, keep a clear head—and it’s really fun in front of such an amazing crowd.”

… after his singles victory against Anton Källberg, when asked if he felt like playing doubles: “Nope!”

… on Darko Jorgic’s departure after eight years together at FCS: “We lived together for a while; we’re close friends. Darko is a friend and a teammate with whom you can win titles. That’s why it hurts so much—but I’ve already been pestering him to come back.”

… on the upcoming season without Fan and Jorgic: “Right now, I’m just enjoying the moment. I’m not worrying about next season. Right now, I’m just happy to be here and to be a part of this project.”

Fan Zhendong (1. FC Saarbrücken TT)

… on winning the title: “I’m very happy that I was able to help the team with two wins. Even when I wasn’t able to perform at my best during the season, the team was there to step up. That shows what a strong team we are.”

… on his goals: “I want to play every match as well as possible and contribute to the team’s success.”

Darko Jorgic (1. FC Saarbrücken TT)

… on winning the title: “There couldn’t have been a better way to say goodbye. Thank you so much for the wonderful time in Saarbrücken and the amazing support over the years.”

... after the semifinal victory against Bremen: “Bremen is a very, very strong team—we gave it our all and are very happy that we made it to the final.”

Nicolas Barrois (Team Manager, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT)

… on the treble: “I’m very, very proud of the team. It’s incredible what the team has achieved over the course of the entire season.”

… on the importance of Fan Zhendong: “It’s great to have him here. It’s not just special for the club, but for the entire German table tennis community. That’s why I’m glad he’s staying in Germany and the TTBL.”

Dang Qiu (Borussia Düsseldorf)

… on the loss in the final: “Of course we’re disappointed. We played a great game. But against a team as strong as Saarbrücken, everything has to go perfectly, and that wasn’t the case today.”

… on the semifinal against Bergneustadt: “It was an incredible match. It felt like anything was possible. ‘Bene’ played incredibly well. We were actually already out.”

Kanak Jha (Borussia Düsseldorf)

… after his victory over Darko Jorgic: “I’m very happy about my win. Now it’s 1-1, and we’ll keep giving it our all. I’m looking forward to the match against Fan Zhendong in this fantastic atmosphere.”

Anton Källberg (Borussia Düsseldorf)

… before the doubles match against Bergneustadt, when asked whether Dang Qiu and Li Yongyin would secure Borussia’s spot in the final: “One hundred percent.”

Danny Heister (Coach, Borussia Düsseldorf)

… on the loss in the final: “Congratulations to Saarbrücken. They deserved it. I can’t fault my team. We gave it our all, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough this time.”

Benedikt Duda (TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt)

… after his victory in the semifinals against Dang Qiu: “I hadn’t beaten Dang in a long time. The important thing was that I kept at it. It’s the semifinals; we’re fighting for every point here and giving it our all.”

Cristian Tamas (Coach, SV Werder Bremen)

… on the semifinal loss to Saarbrücken: “Of course, even against a heavy favorite, you always hope for a chance—and we actually got one. Unfortunately, after Kirill’s upset victory, Mattias’s unfortunate loss meant we couldn’t pull off another surprise. But it was clear even before the match started that we were complete underdogs against such a dominant team.”

… on the 2025/26 season: “We put up as good a fight as we could and represented SV Werder with dignity. That’s another reason why, in just a few days, we’ll be celebrating the fact that we made it to the Final4 at all thanks to a very strong season. That’s a huge success.”

Timo Boll (Dyn analyst)

… on Benedikt Duda’s victory over Dang Qiu in the semifinals: “‘Bene’ is playing in the semifinals for his home club—that really brought out all his passion.”

… on the Final Four format: “As a player, I always really enjoyed the Final Four format. It’s very, very good for the level of competition, and it’s also a great event. You rarely get to experience something like that.”

Nico Stehle (Managing Director of the Table Tennis Bundesliga)

… on the Liebherr TTBL Final4: “With the Liebherr TTBL Final4, we wanted to bring all the top players together in one place and offer a concentrated dose of world-class competition over a single weekend. We succeeded in doing that. We saw that there aren’t just two top teams in the TTBL—after all, the final matchup could have been very different.”

… on the 2025/26 season: “With this final event, a record number of spectators over the weekend, a record number of spectators in the arenas throughout the season, media reach that has grown once again, and increased international appeal, the league can look back on a great season. I would like to thank the clubs and players, all the supporters and partners, and all the volunteers, without whom this development would not have been possible.”

Header image: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT (by BeLa Sportfoto)