Interview with Nicolas Barrois (Team Manager 1 FC Saarbrücken TT): "A first double would be the perfect end to a perfect season"

Champions League winners 1. FC Saarbrücken TT will be aiming for the championship again in the Liebherr TTBL final on June 30 (Sunday) in Frankfurt against defending champions Borussia Düsseldorf. In an interview, FCS team manager Nicolas Barrois talks about the importance of a double, the ongoing rivalry with Düsseldorf and the question of his players' inhibitions in what could be their last final against Borussia star Timo Boll.

Nicolas Barrois, a year ago your 1. FC Saarbrücken TT had to mourn the hoped-for "double", winning two titles in one season, after the Bundesliga final. In this year's Liebherr TTBL final, Saarbrücken has another chance to do the double after successfully defending its title in the Champions League. Why will it work this time?

Of course, it's not so easy to say whether it will work this time. I believe that games against Düsseldorf and especially finals with both teams at their best are always 50:50 games, as the duels in past finals have shown. Of course, the boys will do everything they can to win the double for the first time, which would be something very special for us. It would also be the perfect end to a perfect season, because we showed throughout the main round that we have a good team. We've only lost a few games, even though we've played very sparingly because of the Olympic season, and now we want to reward ourselves for that.

Overall, what are the most striking differences between the two teams compared to the 2023 final?

The difference for us is that we've brought in Yuto Muramatsu as an absolute top player. We also don't have the scheduling pressure of a WTT tournament this year, which meant our preparation wasn't good a year ago. Timo Boll is in form in Düsseldorf after having to forfeit his match in the 2023 final. So all in all, it's a completely new situation, even if it will be another 50:50 match in which the form of the day will decide.

In the finals of the past three years, Borussia Düsseldorf always prevented Saarbrücken from reaching the championship. How do you keep up the belief that you can do it for so long?

The belief that we can do it is always there, because we've already beaten Düsseldorf several times in finals and other constellations. So the belief is definitely there, even if you've faced each other as often as our two teams have. Our players also know each other inside out from their games in the TTBL or at international tournaments, so you know that not much makes the difference in the end - so the boys clearly believe in it.

Can the duels between the two teams in the cup and Champions League finals so far this season give you any pointers for final number three?

In our 0:3 in the cup final, we played far below our capabilities, but we were also very tired after our semi-final against Ochsenhausen. In the Champions League final, we perhaps had the luck of the draw on our side. Overall, however, I don't think you can deduce from these two finals what will happen in the TTBL final in Frankfurt - it's a completely new game under completely new conditions, especially as the line-ups are always a special factor.

Düsseldorf's star Timo Boll has often been a stumbling block for Saarbrücken in recent years. However, Frankfurt could now be his last TTBL final for the German championship. Can the wistful farewell mood in the German scene also have an effect on your players?

Timo is an exceptional player. Especially in the years leading up to 2020, Timo was always the player who could and often did win two points for Düsseldorf. But I don't think that the knowledge that his career is coming to an end will affect the players. With all due respect to Timo, I hope we won't be giving him any gifts.

Your captain Patrick Franziska showed a fantastic reaction in the spring after his Olympic hopes were dashed and even climbed into the top 10 for the first time in his career. Is his disappointment at the Olympics still a factor in the final?

The disappointment immediately after the nomination was of course there, was there for longer and perhaps still exists to some extent. But I don't think it will be a relevant factor for us in the final, perhaps even the opposite: Patrick can draw a lot of strength from it, he has already proven that he can deal with it well in sporting terms. So I don't think it will affect us in the final. It's comparable to Timo's performance in what could be his last TTBL final: neither plays a role in the preparation or in the game - also because everything has been said and the focus is now on a hopefully great final for everyone.

Saarbrücken and Düsseldorf are facing each other in a final for the fifth time in a row this season. What conclusions can you draw from this statistic?

I think you have to say that both teams are currently the two best teams in Germany and, if you go by the last two Champions League finals, also in Europe. We are doing a good job, have a homogeneous team and a good team spirit. That has always characterized us and continues to set us apart. But Düsseldorf is also working extremely well. So both clubs are working very, very well. That's something to be proud of, especially as they also sell well internationally - whether it's the Champions League or WTT tournaments. Nevertheless, the league will be even more exciting next year because one or two clubs have strengthened their ranks and want to have a say at the top.

Thank you very much for the interview, Nicolas Barrois.

Interview: Florian Manzke

Featured image above: Nicolas Barrois (photo by BeLa Sportfoto)