TTCLM: Düsseldorf and Saarbrücken against old acquaintances
Borussia Düsseldorf and 1. FC Saarbrücken TT can look forward to traditional duels with old acquaintances in the upcoming season of the Champions League (TTCLM) as top seeded teams from the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) after free lots for the first stage in the second stage. For the new star ensemble of the TTC Neu-Ulm, the title mission in the European top division already starts at an elimination tournament of the first stage in Eastern Europe as well as for TTCLM returnee Post SV Mühlhausen.
German champions Borussia Düsseldorf will celebrate a reunion with Polish champions Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki and their former crowd favorite Panagiotis Gionis in the new Champions League season. The traditional duel for Group A in the round of the best twelve after the elimination in the first stage resulted in the draw for stages one and two of the European premier league on Thursday in Luxembourg. Like the Rhinelanders after a bye for the first stage, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, runners-up in the Tischtennis Bundesliga (TTBL), will measure themselves against Denmark's top team Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 in Group D. For both record winners Düsseldorf and Saarbrücken, who both made it to the semifinals last season before the competition was effectively cancelled due to Russia's war on Ukraine, one more opponent will be determined in the four groups of four in stage one.
Their TTBL rivals Post SV Mühlhausen and TTC Neu-Ulm have to play in elimination tournaments at Eastern European rivals for the jump to stage two. Play-off semi-finalists Mühlhausen will face the Czech hosts SKST Tesla Batteries Havirov as well as Austrian Europe Cup finalists Solex-Consult Wiener Neustadt and Spanish participants Arteal SD Compostela. Neu-Ulms new star ensemble around vice world champion Truls Moregard and TTBL returnee Dimitrij Ovtcharov has to play in Romania against host CSS-Szak Odorheiu Secuiesc as well as the Italian Europe Cup winner USD Apuania Carrara Tennistavolo. Only the group winners of the tournaments will reach the second stage.
The qualifying tournaments will take place from September 7 to 11. In the second stage, the four groups of three will begin the back-and-forth matches for a place in the semifinals in October. Group victory is also required to advance to the final round.
In the Europe Cup as the second European Cup competition, Neu-Ulm is the only TTBL participant that has to qualify with its "Team Euro" B team. The opponents of the Bavarians are France's top seeded club Metz TT, the Spanish representative Real Club Cajasur Priego TM and the Belgian starter TT Vedrinamur.
Reactions to the Champions League draw:
Andreas Preuß (Manager Borussia Düsseldorf): "The draw could not have been more difficult. But as it is, we can look forward to two highly interesting duels. And who knows which club we'll get as the winner of one of the preliminary groups. We could be facing another really good club there, too. We've played Bogoria a few times, we know the conditions there, so that's certainly positive. And to see Panos again is also a great pleasure."
Nicolas Barrois (Organizing Director 1st FC Saarbrücken TT): "The draw is difficult for us to evaluate. Roskilde has always been one of our opponents in the group stage in recent years, and we usually had the better end for us. At the moment, unfortunately, we don't have much information about the other teams, not even about the possible opponent from the first stage. That's why we're also looking forward to the first stage with excitement to see if we have to prepare for another tough opponent."
Thomas Stecher (Managing Director Post SV Mulhouse): "The draw is okay, we know the club in Havirov and many of its players. All in all, the group is appealing, but already difficult due to the Austrian team alone. We don't know much about the Spanish team yet. But as third in the last Bundesliga season, we don't need and shouldn't hide. The goal is clearly to reach the second stage, the task is solvable."