Transfer

Mühlhausen's first division table tennis team has a complete squad. Veterans Ionescu and Mengel sign until 2026; Bertrand extends for at least another year. Captain Habesohn is also staying at Post-Brücke.

The squad planning at Post SV Mühlhausen is already well advanced in mid-January - the Thuringian club has extended the contracts with three players and is relying on a stable framework for the future in the German Table Tennis League (TTBL).

Steffen Mengel and Ovidiu Ionescu (Romania) have extended their employment contracts with Post, which expire in the summer of 2024, by two years and will remain at the LOTTO Thüringen Centre Court in the historic hall on Kristanplatz until at least the summer of 2026. Frenchman Irvin Bertrand, who is currently rebuilding after a second hip operation, signed until 30 June 2025 plus an option - despite concrete enquiries from league rivals. Post captain Daniel Habesohn (Austria) still has a contract for the coming season anyway.

Medium-term planning with a strong squad

"We had extremely pleasant negotiations with all three players. All sides clearly set out their ideas and visions, ultimately it was just a matter of details and agreement was reached very quickly. At Post SV, working consistently and relying on familiar personnel has proven its worth. We have never been disappointed so far," explains Thomas Baier, President of Post SV.

"Of course, for a club of our size, it's always quite a feat to put together such a strong squad with such seasoned world-class players. That's why we're very happy to be able to plan for the medium term with our 'four musketeers'. I think this is also a strong signal to our great fans and sponsors," continued Thomas Baier.

However, nobody in the Mühlhausen camp wants to get involved in an age debate, even though three of the four players are over 30. Daniel Habesohn (37), Steffen Mengel (35) and Ovidiu Ionescu (34) have plenty of experience, while Irvin Bertrand has the status of "nestling". He will be 24 years old in February. "You just have to look at their results in the TTBL and on the international stage. We also have plenty of great examples in the Bundesliga that a certain age doesn't prevent great sporting class," says Thomas Baier.

Ovidiu Ionescu takes a similar line: "I'm completely satisfied. Mühlhausen is home for me. The team and coach have a deep relationship of trust, we always work for each other, but we can also tell each other what we think and want to develop." The Romanian has been at Post SV since 2015, meaning he will break the magic mark of ten years in the Mühlhausen jersey. Habesohn moved to Kristanplatz in 2016, Mengel followed in 2018 and Bertrand in 2021.

Squad planning not yet finalised

However, Post SV's squad planning is not yet complete: Coach Erik Schreyer and those responsible are toying with the idea of further strengthening, especially as the team from Müntzerstadt want to return to European competition in the 2024/25 season. "More breadth in the squad is important if the club wants to dance at three different levels. Added to this is the increased workload on the players due to the Olympics and the extreme increase in World Table Tennis tournaments. That's why we're going to talk to our sponsors and see what's possible," says Thomas Baier.

Featured image above: Ovidiu Ionescu from Post SV Mühlhausen (Photo: Christian Habel/Pixo)