Bundesliga

TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen have won the German team championship for the fifth time. In the Liebherr TTBL final, which was also Timo Boll's farewell match in front of a record crowd of 5,000 spectators in Frankfurt, the Upper Swabians dethroned Boll's team Borussia Düsseldorf 3:2 and completed their third double at national level. TTF captain and runner-up Hugo Calderano, who also retired from the Bundesliga, talks in an interview about the significance of the title, his departure from Germany and the rebuilding process at the new title holders.

Hugo Calderano, congratulations on winning the German championship with TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen. How do you feel about winning the title?

It wasn't an easy match. After my first match against Timo Boll, I wasn't able to show my best form against Dang Qiu, but Simon Gauzy and especially Shunsuke Togami were able to score at least once in their matches. So we performed as a team again, which has made us strong all season. I'm just very happy.

What was the deciding factor in the final?

Düsseldorf is always a strong opponent, so it was important that we had confidence in the doubles. That was the key to victory for us.
The final was dominated almost from start to finish by Timo Boll's farewell.

Was it very difficult for you to stay focused in your opening singles match against this living legend, especially when Boll equalized after you were 2-0 up?

Everyone knows and is prepared for the fact that Timo always tries to find solutions right to the end, and he really fought admirably once again. But we all know that sport can be brutal: I had to do my best, and unfortunately in sport, no two people can win. But I think it was a nice farewell for Timo despite his and Düsseldorf's defeat.

What happened in between when Timo managed to equalize and even pull away to 5:1 in the fifth set?

Timo can still play.... But overall, the heat in the hall meant that it wasn't easy for any of us to play. That's probably why I lost my concentration a bit.

The final was your last game in the Ochsenhausen jersey. How difficult is this step for you after a good decade?

I've made a lot of good memories in my many years in Ochsenhausen - with the team, with the people, in the club. I'm very happy to have won the league title with the team for Ochsenhausen once again and, as in 2019, the double. I'm leaving Ochsenhausen, but Ochsenhausen and its many people will remain in my heart forever. I will still be in Ochsenhausen very often.

At no time in the past few weeks, with so many personal successes, did it ever occur to you to turn around?

When I started in the Bundesliga, it was important for me to gain experience at the highest possible level in as many games as possible. But I've now reached a different point in my career: I'm older and there are more and more international tournaments in the WTT series. I've already reached my limits this season.

In addition to you, your long-time teammate Simon Gauzy also gave his farewell performance for Ochsenhausen after many years in the final. What does this turning point mean for your former club?

From my point of view, of course, it's not so easy for Ochsenhausen. But the club has always had the philosophy and mentality of developing young players and bringing them forward. That's why now is another good opportunity to build something new.

You had already left Ochsenhausen once and returned two years ago. Is a third stint with the TTF conceivable for you?

Why not? I can't say that I think it's impossible. My career is hopefully still long, maybe another ten or even 13 years, a lot can still happen. We'll see.

Interview: Florian Manzke

Featured image above: Hugo Calderano from TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen (Photo: BeLa Sportfoto)