Interview with the Final4 champion: Patrick Franziska (1. FC Saarbrücken-TT): “As a fan, I’ll always remember three titles and many wonderful moments”
Patrick Franziska helped 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT—already Champions League and Cup winners—complete the “triple” by winning the German Championship at the Liebherr TTBL Final4. In this interview, the national team player discusses the significance of this historic achievement, the departures of superstars Fan Zhendong and Darko Jorgic from Saarbrücken, and his expectations for the new season.
Patrick Franziska, just a few days ago, winning the title was still just a dream. How does it feel now that you’ve won the championship title?
It feels pretty cool. Being German champion with Saarbrücken—that sounds very, very cool, too.
By winning the championship, you’ve also completed the “triple.” How significant is this trio of trophies?
Of course, it means a great deal. Winning the treble is never a sure thing; a lot of things really have to fall into place.
Of course, we had an absolute top-tier player in Fan Zhendong, but even so, it’s not a sure thing. That’s why we’re naturally over the moon. How does the championship differ from the other two titles of the season?
We had already suspected that the championship—out of all three competitions—might actually be the toughest challenge, because there’s a doubles match at the end. We also knew that Werder Bremen would be very, very strong in the semifinals, since they have a lot of confidence when playing against us. And while we had respect for a potential final against Borussia Düsseldorf, we were just as confident.
What was the key to Saarbrücken’s success in the semifinal against Bremen and the final against Düsseldorf?
Of course, on the one hand, the fact that Fan Zhendong won his singles matches—when you have a player like that who scores two points, it obviously helps you a lot. The fact that Darko then won his match in the semifinals and I won mine in the final at 1-1 in front of the fans’ second match was, of course, incredibly important, because a potential doubles match at the end would have been completely up in the air. That’s why it was good that we were both there when it mattered.
In the final, you yourself won the key match against Anton Källberg. What was the deciding factor there?
When the score was 1-1, I knew that Anton had won two matches in the semifinals and was in great form, so I knew I had to play very, very smart tactically and really put everything into my body language to tip the match slightly in my favor, and I managed to do that pretty well. Anton made a few simple mistakes at the start, and that’s when I realized I was really in the game, and often it’s the little things that make the difference, and I think they were slightly on my side in that match.
Saarbrücken’s entire season was dominated by superstar Fan Zhendong. How did you experience this year?
It was without a doubt a totally intense year, but it’s also amazing what kind of flair a player like that brings to a league like this—or actually to European table tennis. What was going on in the arenas, what was happening in the media—it was really something special. We all had to get used to that at first, and he probably did too. But the club handled it all really well. I can definitely say that I’m very, very happy with the season.
Fan is moving to Düsseldorf in the summer. What will remain from this year?
What remains are the three titles and so many wonderful moments, not just at the table, but off it as well. We had an absolutely wonderful time, and I’ll definitely never forget it.
In addition to Fan, your longtime teammate Darko Jorgic is also leaving Saarbrücken. How much do these departures hurt, both in terms of the sport and personally?
Darko’s departure hurts me especially because we played together for so long and won so many titles. He was also always the kind of player you could count on in big matches because he was so emotional and often played his best table tennis under pressure. On top of that, we’re very, very good friends—we even lived in the same house for a while. On the other hand, it feels like we see each other every week at some tournament or another, so everything’s fine.
With the player changes, the deck seems to be shuffled differently for the new season. What are your expectations for the coming year in Saarbrücken?
One thing is clear: Düsseldorf will likely be the favorite everywhere. But we’ll be adding Hugo Calderano, and we’ve signed Alvaro Robles, who is an incredibly talented player and one of the best doubles players in Europe—so we definitely won’t be hiding, but will simply try to ride the momentum of the treble. But to be honest: I haven’t given the next season much thought yet; I’m still enjoying this one.
Thank you very much for the interview, Patrick Franziska.
Florian Manzke
Featured image above: Patrick Franziska of 1. FC Saarbrücken Table Tennis (Photo: BeLaSportfoto)