European Giants Enter the Race as HYLO Champions League Men Round of 16 Begins - European table tennis union
The battle for the 2026/27 HYLO ETTU Champions League Men title moves into a new phase this week, as the eight highest-seeded clubs enter the competition in the Round of 16. FC Saarbrücken TT, record European title contenders Borussia Düsseldorf and last season's runners-up Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier headline an impressive field of 16 teams, with the opening legs scheduled for 12-14 November.
Following the conclusion of Stage 1 in Lille, eight successful qualifiers are ready to challenge the clubs that earned direct entry into the knockout stage. s, ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi, SF SKK El Nino Praha, Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61, TTC Sokah Hoboken, Lille Metropole TT, KS Dojlidy Białystok and AS Pontoise Cergy TT have all secured their places among Europe's last 16.
Four of those teams - HB Ostrov, El Nino Praha, Hoboken and Dojlidy - progressed from Lille with perfect records, winning all three of their group matches. The spotlight now turns to the continent's leading clubs and the international stars who will join the competition.
FC Saarbrücken TT open their campaign on Friday, 13 November, against French side Lille Metropole TT. The German champions enter the knockout stage with a significantly reshaped squad following the departures of FAN Zhendong and Darko JORGIC.
However, their line-up remains formidable. Sweden's Truls MOREGARD, Germany's Patrick FRANZISKA and Brazil's Hugo CALDERANO lead the challenge, supported by Romania's Eduard IONESCU, Spain's Álvaro ROBLES and Korea Republic's OH Junsung.
Lille secured second place in Group C during Stage 1 and will now face a much greater challenge. The French club can call upon Croatia's experienced Andrej GACINA, Romania's Rares SIPOS and France's Fabio RAKOTOARIMANANA.
One of the most anticipated storylines of the new season is the arrival of Olympic champion FAN Zhendong at Borussia Düsseldorf. The Chinese superstar has joined the German giants after helping Saarbrücken claim last season's title, adding further strength to a squad featuring Germany's QIU Dang, Sweden's Anton KÄLLBERG and Kanak JHA.
Second seeds Düsseldorf begin their campaign on Thursday, 12 November, away to AS Pontoise Cergy TT, who advanced from Stage 1 after a dramatic 3-2 victory over TTC Ostrava 2016. Pontoise's squad includes Italy's Mihai BOBOCICA, Chinese Taipei's HUNG Jing-Kai and China's ZHOU Kai, who played a decisive role in securing qualification from Lille.
Last season's runners-up Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier return with the ambition of going one step further. Fourth seeds in the competition, the French club will once again rely on brothers Alexis and Félix LEBRUN, both European champions in Ljubljana last month.