Table Tennis – Wiener Neustadt wants to enter the Champions League

From Friday, Wiener Neustadt will play table tennis again for a place in the Champions League group stage. This would put the cracks of believers in all ages in a bright circle. There are still only twelve teams participating in this first division stage. For Wiener Neustadt to be among the top ten in Europe, he first needs to win the preliminary round. The match will be held on Saturday and Sunday in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Jin Ueda as Wiener Neustadt’s trump card

“We definitely want to achieve promotion,” confirms Franz Jernjak, president of Wiener Neustadt. For this mission, Wiener Neustadt signed the best player of all time, the Japanese Jin Ueda. The former world number 28 player has been training in Croatia since Tuesday with his club teammates Fran Kojic, Ikvor Ban and Alexander Khanin. Croatian national team players Andrej Jasina and Tomislav Bucar serve as sparring partners. “The preparation is great,” Jernjak says happily. Jane is in a great mood. He looks fit and graceful.”

A team from Poland as a major competitor

Gene will also need to be at his best to be successful in what is likely to be a decisive match against Bydgoszcz. “We hope he can get two wins over them, then anything is possible. If there is only one, it will be difficult, frankly,” says Jernjak. It is unclear what formation the Poles will come in: “We will just see today with who they are there with. Some Asian players in their ranks.In addition, there are two good Europeans in Vladislav Orso and Leonardo Muti.

With drums and trumpets in your ear

In order for the final showdown between the two candidates to take place on Sunday (11am), Wiener Neustadt will have to do his homework on Saturday first against Kalo-Meh (11am). Then against Maricolor (7 p.m.). “Teams should not become a stumbling block. But the Hungarians are always dangerous. Maricolor is the weaker team, but we already experienced the atmosphere of Dubrovnik, how the fans sat next to our seats beating drums and horns and shouting in our ears.

If there are two wins on Saturday, the mood may change in favor of Wiener Neustadt on Sunday. With Kojic and Ban, the Lower Austrians have two Croatian local heroes in their baggage. “Then the whole hall will be on our side and we will have a small home advantage,” Jernjak hopes.