A successful week for 1. FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis
Two wins and a new contract
Last weekend brought two impressive wins for 1. FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis. On Friday (14 February 2025), Saarbrücken managed an impressive 3:0 win against ASC Grünwettersbach in the Tischtennis Bundesliga (TTBL). Just two days later, on Sunday, the Saarland players secured another 3:0 victory against GV Hennebont to reach the Champions League final four tournament.
Champions League success against Hennebont
1. FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis’s 3:0 home win against GV Hennebont secured them entry to the Champions League final four, which (as in 2024) will be taking place in the Saarlandhalle. FCS Tischtennis will be at the tournament on 31 May and 1 June as two-time defending champions.
In front of 750 enthusiastic spectators, the opening match on Sunday began with Truls Möregardh first to the table for FCS TT – his first appearance in Saarland. The Swede, known for his hexagonal bat, initially showed unusually weak play and lost the first set 7:11 to the Romanian challenger Chirita. Möregardh was then able to put his formidable forehand to better use in the second set, winning it 11:5. Despite an impressive run by Chirita in the third set, Möregardh ultimately prevailed 11:7 and then won the deciding match tiebreak to put the event score at 1:0.
‘Chirita hit everything – generally successfully’, FCS’s captain Patrick Franziska said in praise of the young Romanian. Möregardh sounded very pleased with his team’s performance: ‘GV Hennebont Tischtennis are a very strong team. I am very happy, especially as this was my first singles match in Saarbrücken. The atmosphere here is incredible.’
Franziska also had a fight on his hands. In his duel against Russian player Vladimir Sidorenko, he lost the first set 7:1 but then fought his way back into the game and dominated the following sets. His 3:1 win secured a second point for the team, which was enough to guarantee entry to the finals tournament: as Saarbrücken had already won the first leg in Brittany 3:0, this made their victory unassailable. Borussia Düsseldorf also qualified alongside FCS TT, together with Polish teams Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki and KS Orlicz Suchedniów.
Darko Jorgic faced Lev Katsman in the third match of the day and won in three clear sets. ‘This is great for us, long may it continue’, was Franziska’s happy summary. Möregardh was already looking ahead to the finals: ‘Lots of fans always come to Germany – it’s just fun.’
Jorgic emphasised the importance of the win: ‘This was a hugely important match, particularly as we are hosting the final four. I am now looking forward to May and competing in the final four in front of our home fans.’
Resounding victory against Grünwettersbach
On Friday (14 February), 1. FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis celebrated a clear 3:0 win against ASC Grünwettersbach in the TTBL. Despite difficult conditions, the hosting team put up a substantial fight. However, without their top players Ricardo Walther and Tiago Apolonia they ultimately had little chance.
Patrick Franziska dominated the opening match against Rafael Turrini and won 3:0. Leo de Nodrest then established a confident 2:0 lead against Eduard Ionescu, but lost the next three sets. Cedric Meissner finally secured the overall victory with a hard-fought 3:1 win against Guilherme Teodoro.
Despite some players missing due to injury, Ricardo Walther sounded disappointed after the match, whilst 1. FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis have kept their playoff hopes alive.
Captain remaining until 2029
Following this sporting success, national table tennis player Patrick Franziska extended his contract to 2029 this week.
FCS Tischtennis is quite simply my club – I’m very happy with all of the managers and fans, which made my decision to keep playing on the Saar an easy one.
Patrick Franziska
Sports director Erwin Berg also sounded pleased with this contact extension: ‘He is the face of our club.’
With a place in the final four tournament, Patrick Franziska’s contract being extended, and the Bundesliga playoff places a step closer, 1. FC Saarbrücken can be optimistic about the future.