TG Saar face bronze duel against SC Cottbus in DTL finals
On Saturday (29 November 2025), the SNP Dome in Heidelberg will be playing host to the finals of the Deutsche Turnliga (DTL). Whilst KTV Straubenhardt and TV Schwäbisch Gmünd-Wetzgau battle it out for the title, TG Saar will be up against SC Cottbus in the third-place playoffs. Saarland will be competing for the German championship bronze medal – and arriving with clear goals in mind.
Starting point
TG Saar have already exceeded their goal for the season by finishing the main round in third place. Their clear home win against Eintracht Frankfurt on the final day of competition secured them a spot in the finals and allowed the team to compete for a medal.
Opponents SC Cottbus
Cottbus have a strong, balanced team. One particularly notable athlete is Radomyr Stelmakh (Ukraine), the season’s top scorer. Under the DTL’s new foreign competitor regulations, he is listed as a ‘local athlete’ as he has been living in Germany for a continuous period of three years. This also means that Cottbus can feature another foreign competitor on each apparatus – an advantage that would seem to put the Lausitz team a touch ahead on paper.
TG Saar with Olympic champion Dolgopyat
For the final, TG Saar will be using their tried-and-tested team from recent weeks, plus a special new addition: Artem Dolgopyat, 2021 Olympic champion on the floor, 2023 world champion and 2024 Olympic silver medallist in Paris. Together with the other gymnasts who have been scoring highly recently, TG Saar will be battling for the bronze.
Whoever makes fewer errors will win
As TG Saar’s managers put it: ‘Ultimately, we finished the main season in third place and exceeded our goal by reaching the third-place playoffs. The boys are fit and well and hugely motivated, even if Cottbus are slightly the favourites on paper. We showed in Dillingen in early November that we can hold our own and even win. As is always the case, whoever makes fewer errors will win.’
Farewell to Waldemar Eichorn
This competition will be a very special one for Waldemar Eichorn: after 25 successful years, he will likely be competing in his last DTL final. In the future he will be serving as head coach for the Saarland gymnastics federation, turning his attentions to young talent. Whether or not this will be his final appearance in the TG Saar jersey remains to be seen – if he is still fit and needed, he could be competing once again next season.
Young talent in the final
The club received some great news shortly before the weekend: TG Saar’s junior league team unexpectedly gained a place in the final featuring Germany’s top six teams. This was due to the withdrawal of TurnTeam Baden-Württemberg. The youngsters of TG Saar will be competing on their apparatus in Heidelberg at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning, immediately before the women’s final.
Max Steinmetz, Jonas Rabe, Philipp Heil, Alexios Mousichidis and Leander Altvater will be lining up for TG Saar. With only a short period to prepare but brimming with motivation, the young team will be competing alongside the current stars in their final – an unexpected opportunity that they will be seizing with both hands.
Curtain up on the finale
TG Saar are heading to Heidelberg with their heads held high. After a season filled with challenges, reaching the final is a success in itself – but the team want more. With an Olympic champion in the lineup, a highly motivated squad, and the support of their fans, their motto is: in it to win it.
We are crossing our fingers and wish TG Saar much luck and success in the DTL finals.