Německý tým TTV RE-BAU Gönnern dokázal oplatit ve finále Ligy mistrů porážku Charleroi v poměru 3:1 a na lepší poměr setů (18:13) se stal vítězem nejprestižnější evropské klubové soutěže. Dva body Gönnernu vybojoval Timo Boll, třetí přidal Slobodan Grujic. Úřadující mistr Evropy Vladimir Samsonov prohrál oba své zápasy.
Výsledky:
TTV RE-BAU Gönnern—Royal Villette Charleroi 3:1
Boll – Smirnov 3:0 (10, 14, 2), Grujic – Samsonov 3:0 (8, 5, 7), Rosskopf – Saive 2:3 (-4, 9, -7, 7, -12), Boll – Samsonov 3:1 (8, -8, 4, 10).
První utkání:
Royal Villette Charleroi – TTV RE-BAU Gönnern 3:1
Samsonov – Grujic 3:1 (4, -7, 8, 11), Smirnov – Boll 0:3 (-7, -9, -6), Saive – Roßkopf 3:2 (7, 6, -5, -9, 6), Samsonov – Boll 3:1 (-8, 8, 9, 9).
Tisková zpráva ETTU:
Top sensation turned out well! The record champion was brought down off the throne and TTV RE-BAU Gönnern shines in heaven of table tennis. Already the opening let this course foreseen. Timo Boll turned out well after two hard disputed games with a 3:0victory against Alexej Smirnov who had to say goodbye with that to his role as Bolls’ dreaded opponent. The second meeting then brought the sensation of the evening, and was concurrent the key for the over-all success: Slobodan Grujic made an unbelievable 3:0 against Vladimir Samsonov who stood with his back to the wall and showed weak nerves under pressure to succeed the entire match. The hosts would have almost succeeded even 3:0 since Jörg Rosskopf found good chances in a dramatic match against Jean-Michel Saive. It went over the full distance, and was, however, just decided only in the fifth game in the prolongation. After that the final spurt of the finals were on the schedule: the two top players of our elite league fought for the title and a repeated triumph Bolls brought the German leading club to this longed-for goal. The enthusiastic fans accompanied any single point with battle cries when Boll conquered Samsonov again. Samsonov suffered for the first time in our top league two defeats in one encounter. After the two 3:1 home wins the aggregated score was with 4:4 equal, therefore the ratio in games now became the decisive factor, and there Gönnern was with 18:13 clearly in front. “This is the greatest and most impressive title of our club history”, manager Torsten Märte rejoiced before he stormed to the press conference. “Timo played excellently today and nobody has expected a 3:0 of Slobodan against Samsonov, both should be recognized as the winner of the match. The gigantic crowd of supporters provided a great delight too; we have never experienced that before. Jean Lafleur, president of the Belgian sportswriters, showed himself very calm: “Today, Gönnern was simply the better team, one needs to accept this. Vladimir showed himself as suffering of the will to succeed a little, I have never seen him like that, perhaps the pressure was simply too big for him. Sometimes sport is exactly like that, one has to come to terms with it.
FINALS SINCE FOUNDATION OF THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:
1998/1999:
Caen TTC—Borussia Düsseldorf 3:4
Borussia Düsseldorf—Caen TTC 3:4 (matches 7:7, games 20:18 for Caen)
1999/2000:
SVS Niederösterreich—Borussia Düsseldorf 0:3
Borussia Düsseldorf—SVS Niederösterreich 3:0
2000/2001:
Royal Villette Charleroi—SVS Niederösterreich 3:0
SVS Niederösterreich—Royal Villette Charleroi 3:2
2001/2002:
SVS Niederösterreich—Royal Villette Charleroi 2:3
Royal Villette Charleroi—SVS Niederösterreich 3:1
2002/2003:
TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau—Royal Villette Charleroi 1:3
Royal Villette Charleroi—TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau 3:2
2003/2004:
Royal Villette Charleroi—TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau 3:1
TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau—Royal Villette Charleroi 1:3
2004/2005:
Royal Villette Charleroi—TTV RE-BAU Gönnern 3:1
TTV RE-BAU Gönnern – Royal Villette Charleroi 3 :1 (matches 4:4, games 18:13 for Gönnern)
