On the sixth day of play at the European Team Championships in Zadar, the battle for the medals intensified as the semi-final line-up was confirmed.

In the men’s event, Germany will face France, while Romania will take on Slovenia in what promises to be two thrilling clashes for a place in the final.

Portugal – Slovenia 1–3

João GERALDO – Deni KOŽUL 1–3 (12–14, 5–11, 11–8, 4–11)

Tiago APOLÓNIA – Darko JORGIĆ 1–3 (12–14, 8–11, 11–7, 7–11)

João MONTEIRO – Bojan TOKIĆ 3–2 (11–7, 8–11, 12–10, 10–12, 11–7)

João GERALDO – Darko JORGIĆ 1–3 (8–11, 11–8, 15–17, 9–11)

In the morning session, Slovenia celebrated a memorable 3–1 victory over Portugal to book their ticket to the semi-finals. World No. 30 Deni KOŽUL gave Slovenia a dream start by defeating world No. 24 João GERALDO, before world No. 4 Darko JORGIĆ extended the lead with a 3–1 win over Tiago APOLÓNIA (No. 35).

The veteran duel between the two 42-year-olds, João MONTEIRO and 44-years-old Bojan TOKIĆ, went the full distance, with MONTEIRO narrowly prevailing. However, on his second appearance at the table, JORGIĆ sealed the tie with another commanding performance against GERALDO, sending Slovenia into the last four.

Darko JORGIĆ: “We’ve dreamed about this. During our training camp, Bojan told me that we’d play Portugal in the quarter-finals and beat them, and that’s exactly what happened! I’m so proud of the whole team, from the first match to the last. From the group stage, we’ve shown that we’re a real team, that we fight for each other and that we’re ready to give everything for one another.”

JORGIĆ continued: “Deni was fantastic in the opening match. Last time at the World Championships he lost 4–0 to Geraldo, but this time we were well prepared tactically. It was a different Deni, not the one from yesterday who was just reacting, but one who came in with the right mindset from the start. He even went for a run at six in the morning today, maybe that helped! I hope he repeats that tomorrow.

As for my second match, you simply have to beat APOLONIA. He’s injured, but he still plays his game. The pressure was on me because we were already 1–0 up, and everyone knew that if I won two matches, the tie would be over, and that’s what happened. I feel sorry for Bojan; he had his chances. He was leading 10–8 in the third game, if he had taken that one, who knows how it would have gone. But in the end, maybe it’s even sweeter this way. I played a fantastic match against GERALDO. We always have tough battles, you probably remember our match from the Top 16. He’s a player who returns everything and fights until the very last point. I’m really happy that today I managed to play with a clear head.”

Deni KOŽUL:“This is what we practice for. I’m really, really satisfied with my own game, I played against an amazing player in GERALDO. When we have our number one, Darko, who once again proved why he’s among the world’s top 10, it’s much easier for all of us. Even in the third position, Bojan showed that at his age he can still perform at an incredibly high level. He was 1–1 and 10–8 up, just a little unlucky not to convert that game in his favour, but he played great. The bench and the youngsters were so loud and supportive, I really think we all fought for this medal, and we all deserve it.”

On his unusual pre-match preparation, KOŽUL added: “Yes, I went running at 6 o’clock in the morning to change my energy. Yesterday, I wasn’t feeling great, I was dizzy, my reactions weren’t sharp. I’m a little superstitious, so I changed everything today, from breakfast to dinner. I even went running with Hribar early in the morning. My legs felt so fast today that I think I’ll do it again tomorrow!”

Bojan TOKIĆ: “Darko was amazing against both GERALDO and APOLONIA, both are in fantastic shape this tournament. What the guys are showing is amazing table tennis. In the key moments, Darko stayed really calm, yes, a few lucky points at the end, but that’s part of the game. We’re a compact team, and I think my comeback maybe made each of them a little bit better.

I’m not their father, I don’t give them tips, that’s the coach’s role, but we have amazing spirit. We’re great friends despite the age difference; I’m 18 years older than the boys. Maybe I could just sense this medal coming, that’s why I wanted to return. The Association gave me the opportunity, and the coach, Darko, and Deni all asked me to play this event. So here I am, and I think this is an amazing achievement for us after eight years.”

On his opponent, João MONTEIRO, TOKIĆ added: “He’s an incredible athlete, when he’s focused, he’s 100% in the game. There were no easy points against him; for every rally, you have to build, to work hard. Every point is earned. I have huge respect for him, he’s a fantastic competitor and an amazing sportsman.”

France – Belgium 3–0

Félix LEBRUN – Cédric NUYTINCK 3–0 (11–6, 11–4, 11–7)

Alexis LEBRUN – Adrien RASSENFOSSE 3–0 (11–4, 11–8, 11–5)

Simon GAZY – Martin ALLEGRO 3–0 (11–6, 11–7, 11–5)

Once again, France were in the fast lane. France swept past Belgium 3–0 to secure a place on the medal rostrum at the European Team Championships in Zadar.

The French trio of Félix LEBRUN, Alexis LEBRUN, and Simon GAZY delivered a flawless performance, each claiming straight-games victories to book their spot in the semi-finals.

Alexis LEBRUN:“The match went really well. Félix gave us the perfect start with a very solid performance against NUYTINCK, who also played a good match. That allowed me to come in with great energy against Adrien, who’s been in good form lately, he just played a competition in Sweden, so I knew it would be a tough battle. I managed to handle it really well, and that set up Simon perfectly to finish the job. Overall, it was a perfect match for us today.”

“As for tomorrow, it’s going to be a different story. We’ll probably face Germany, since they haven’t played their quarter-final yet. On paper, that’s likely the two strongest teams of the tournament going head-to-head. It’s going to be a big battle, but European Championship semi-finals always are. We’re ready to go out there and fight for it.”

Félix LEBRUN: “We feel very good. As a team, we’re happy to reach the semi-finals, our first goal was to secure a medal. But of course, we want more. We’ll keep our focus, try to improve our game in these conditions, and play our best in the semi-final.”

“I’ve already played against NUYTINCK twice, and I feel good when I face him. I was able to put a lot of pressure on him. We’ve practiced together many times, so I know how to play against him, maybe he knows too, but I felt confident and I think I played a very good match. The intensity was very high, and I’m happy to have played a complete match. Since the beginning of the tournament, my games have been a bit up and down, so I’m really happy to have won like this today.”

Félix also shared a glimpse into the team’s relaxed off-court atmosphere:

“We practice hard, but we also enjoy our free time. The hotel is really nice, we’re close to the sea, there’s a pool, a jacuzzi, and a gym where we work out. We play video games together and sometimes card games like ‘Simon Says’.

We play a lot of FIFA, the best is Alexis, I think. That’s why he plays with Simon, because Simon is the worst!

We just try to enjoy ourselves, stay together, and strengthen our team spirit.”

Simon GAZY: “My play is getting better and better. Of course, the toughest matches are still to come, tomorrow, maybe against Germany or Croatia. It doesn’t matter which team we face; both are great. We’re just happy to be in the semi-finals and can’t wait to play what could be an amazing match against Germany. We’re ready for it.”

We’ve already played at home for an Olympic medal, for bronze, so nothing can really beat that kind of pressure. Of course, we’ll feel it tomorrow too, but that’s exactly what we train for.

We just want to show a good image of France, no matter who we face. We’re ready, and we can’t wait.”

Croatia – Germany 1–3

Tomislav PUCAR – Patrick FRANZISKA 3–0 (13–11, 11–8, 12–10)

Andrej GAĆINA – Benedikt DUDA 0–3 (7–11, 8–11, 7–11)

Filip ZELJKO – Dang QIU 1–3 (9–11, 11–9, 5–11, 8–11)

Tomislav PUCAR – Benedikt DUDA 1–3 (4–11, 9–11, 11–7, 8–11)

Germany battled past a passionate Croatian side to secure a 3–1 victory and a place in the semi-finals of the European Team Championships in Zadar, where they will next face France.

In front of an electric home crowd that never stopped cheering, Croatia pushed the no. 3 seeds to their limits. Every match was fiercely contested, with Germany forced to fight hard for each point.

The tie began with a major surprise, as Tomislav PUCAR defeated Patrick FRANZISKA 3–0 despite the German having led 10–5 in the first game and 10–8 in the third. The world No. 30 thrilled the home fans with explosive backhand play and precise serves, earning Croatia their only point of the evening.

“At 10–5 in the first game I simply have to win,” admitted FRANZISKA, reflecting on his first-ever loss to PUCAR. “But he played really well, with his backhand, he was everywhere. The good thing is that our team is very balanced. If someone doesn’t have their best day, there’s always someone else to step up. Today, the team carried me.”

Germany quickly responded. Benedikt DUDA levelled the score with a confident 3–0 victory over Andrej GAĆINA, showing solid control in key rallies. Dang QIU then edged past Filip ZELJKO in four games to put Germany ahead before DUDA returned to the table to seal the win, defeating PUCAR 3–1 in the final match.

“It was a very tough match for us,” said DUDA. “You can see how close the level is in Europe , six or seven teams could become European champions. I’m satisfied with my performance and happy to have done my part. Overall, it was a great team effort.”

Focus Turns to France: “We’re well prepared for the match against France,” said head coach Jörg ROSSKOPF. “We played very well today and managed to handle several critical situations.”

Dang QIU added: “The French said in the press that it’s a 50–50 match, and I see it the same way. It’s a battle on equal terms. It’s a pity we meet them already in the semi-finals, but Europe has become extremely competitive.”

This semi-final appearance guarantees Germany their 20th European Team Championship medal, bringing their all-time total to nine gold, eight silver, and three bronze medals, another milestone in the nation’s proud continental legacy.

Sweden – Romania 2–3

Anton KALLBERG – Eduard IONESCU 3–1 (11–3, 11–7, 14–16, 11–7)

Kristian KARLSSON – Iulian CHIRIȚA 1–3 (7–11, 11–8, 5–11, 11–13)

Elias RANEFUR – Ovidiu IONESCU 1–3 (12–14, 11–7, 9–11, 6–11)

Anton KALLBERG – Iulian CHIRIȚA 3–2 (11–2, 11–9, 9–11, 7–11, 11–8)

Kristian KARLSSON – Eduard IONESCU 2–3 (9–11, 11–4, 12–10, 9–11, 9–11)

The defending champions and record-holders with 15 men’s team titles, Sweden, have been eliminated from the European Team Championships in Zadar.

In a dramatic quarter-final clash, Romania triumphed 3–2 after more than three hours of thrilling table tennis, returning to the medal rostrum for the first time since Stuttgart 2009, when they last won bronze.

The young Romanian squad showed outstanding mental strength, twice recovering in crucial moments to overcome the top seeds.

Eduard IONESCU:“Right now, I have no words. I’m still shocked. All of us showed amazing table tennis, both our team and the Swedish team. It was a fantastic match for the spectators, full of pressure and emotion.

At 2–2, it came down entirely to the mental game. It was really hard for me, and I’m sure it was the same for Kristian. But in the end, luckily for us, we managed to win this very hard-fought medal, something we’ve been trying to achieve for many years.”

“We knew it had been a long time since Romania last won a medal in the men’s team event. Now we came with a very young team, all of us, except Ovi, who is very experienced and helps us a lot. The rest of us are full of energy and ambition. This is almost the same junior team as last year, and we’ve shown again, just like in juniors, that we’re a good team and can do big things.”

When asked how he handled the pressure, IONESCU smiled: “Honestly, I don’t really know. I just try to relax and focus on the game. It’s very hard to stay calm in these moments, but luckily, I manage it quite well, and that helps me in all these tight matches.”

Looking ahead, he added:“Of course, now that we’ve beaten the top seeds, our mindset is to go for the title. We’ll try to win. But first, we’ll enjoy this victory for a couple of hours, and then get back to work.”

“It was really tough,” CHIRIȚA said about his opening match against KARLSSON. “But I know Kristian very well ,we were in the same team before ,and we actually spoke with the coaches to put me as number one so I could play against him, because last time we met, I won. I went into the match very confident and felt really good throughout the whole game.”

The team’s strategy was no coincidence. “We had an idea about how they usually line up, so we tried to plan around that ,and it worked out in the end. But honestly, all of them are very strong players. They’re European champions for a reason.”

When his second match came, Romania were leading 2–1, but CHIRIȚA stayed calm. “I didn’t really feel pressure. I knew Anton ,he’s one of the top players in the world ,so I expected it to be really tough. It was actually our first time playing each other. The first set was very hard because he started really strong, but then I found my rhythm and played better and better. In the last set, I had some chances but didn’t take all of them, so I lost 3–2.”

Then came the decisive moment, IONESCU’s deciding match. “The last match was incredible. I still have no words to describe it. Edy is such a fighter ,he’s played so many tough matches against top players. He was down 1–2, maybe even 2–5, I’m not sure. But in my heart, I always believed he could win.”

The emotions were high even on the bench. “I was really stressed! We were sitting there with the boys, and every time Edy lost a point, we were kind of bumping into each other ,that’s normal! When you’re on the bench, it’s actually worse than playing ,you’re even more nervous because you can’t help.”

The victory brought back strong memories. “It reminded me of the Youth Europeans in Ostrava ,almost the same situation, the same pressure, the same emotions. It was against my toughest opponent. I just hope we won’t have that kind of stress again this year!”

As the team celebrated, IONESCU walked over, hugged Iulian, and laughed:

“Very good guy, very good play, very good heart ,fighter.”