Miscellaneous

1.FC Saarbrücken TT started this season as the clear favorite to win the title with its new superstar Fan Zhendong, but despite having the Olympic champion in its team, it has already stumbled twice. In this interview, FCS captain Patrick Franziska talks about possible reasons for the Chinese player's problems, other forms of pressure, and almost mind-expanding training with perhaps the best player in the world.

Patrick Franziska, most observers expected your 1. FC Saarbrücken to march through the season after signing Olympic champion Fan Zhendong. However, after five TTBL match days, your new superstar has already suffered two defeats. Why has it not gone as planned so far?

First of all, it must be said that we said before the start of the season that no competition would be a sure-fire success and that every game would have to be played first. If we knew what the problem was, we probably wouldn't lose games like the one against TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt at the start of the season or, most recently, against Werder Bremen. In my opinion, the 1-3 defeat against Bergneustadt was all very, very new for us – for the fans, but also for us ourselves, because what happened at that home game was crazy, something we had never experienced before in Saarbrücken. In my opinion, Bremen is also one of the top four teams, but still: when we walk in with a full house, i.e. with fans, Darko Jorgic, and me, we expect to win.

But why didn't your team win in Bremen?

Not many people would have thought that Fan Zhendong could lose to Marcelo Aguirre. But his defeat shows once again how close and difficult the league really is. It feels like Fan hasn't lost a single match against non-Chinese players in the last eight years, but he has now suffered three defeats in the Bundesliga. It also shows that different conditions, such as the tables or balls, also play a role. Then there is another kind of pressure when lots of Chinese people from all over the world fly in for a single match played by Fan. All of this together can lead to a bit of a bumpy start, even with a very strong team.

How are you dealing with the unexpected setbacks internally in Saarbrücken?

Our goal is and remains, of course, to win games with our top team. That has to be our goal. We talk a lot internally, and I myself am also thinking a lot about how we can make everything a little more relaxed and easygoing.

What could be the reason for this?

We mustn't forget that Fan comes from a completely different system. That means that during his first really long stay away from home, he literally has to learn a lot of new things. When I'm not away at a WTT tournament, I'm happy to help him, like everyone else in our team, wherever and whenever I can. If I were to suddenly move to China, I would also have to get used to everything first.

Do external circumstances really have such a big impact on the athletic performance of even an exceptional athlete like Fan?

The fact is that his opponents here—without wanting to detract from the performance of other players—can blindly hit every ball and score a lot of points because they are under no pressure at all when playing against Fan Zhendong.

Do you rub your eyes in amazement during moments like Fan's matches against Bergneustadt or in Bremen?

We see Fan in training. It's practically impossible to score a point against him. But in a set to eleven and three winning sets, it happens so quickly. Besides, we've all lost games that we never thought we could lose before. But with him, you think in every game that he's going to plow through the league and win 30-0. But we've already seen against Bergneustadt that our games and Fan Zhendong's games are not a sure thing. That's why we players are still the most relaxed.

Do the high expectations also play a role?

I think I can empathize with Fan a little bit, that he knows and feels how high the expectations are. He in particular is subject to very, very high expectations internationally. But because he is aware of this and recently played a 14:0 record against the best players in the world in China's Super League, I believe it is much more due to the constant changes in tables, balls, and overall conditions. It's different in China, where they always play on the same tables with the same balls. If you're not used to the Bundesliga, it can be difficult for even a fan to play at such a high level consistently.

But can the pressure to perform be higher in the TTBL than in the Super League, for example?

No, but it's a different kind of pressure: you're playing in a different country and you're expected to carry a team at the same time. Generally speaking, we're all familiar with pressure, and the Chinese in particular. I also believe that the pressure on Fan was much higher at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. But Fan also knows that the club won't put any more pressure on him—it won't be because of too much pressure.

Regardless of his results, Fan's commitment to your club and for your club is an event for everyone involved. What is it like for you and your teammates in training sessions with and against perhaps the best player in the world?

You can see why Fan is an Olympic and world champion. He laughs a lot during training, but you can still see the intensity with which he trains, his focus, his seriousness.

What do you get out of the joint training sessions?

The nature and intensity of his training allows me to gain an incredible amount. When I train with him two or three times a week, or even more, it feels as if everyone else is playing in slow motion. I've already noticed this after just a few weeks. When I imagine having this kind of training very regularly over a period of years, it takes the game to a whole new level.

The hype surrounding Fan and your team has also reached a new level in Germany. Do you still feel like you're playing the same sport as before the summer break?

It's true: Fan Zhendong has really changed everything, every home game and every away game – but it's cool. People in Germany are only just beginning to understand how big table tennis really is in China when you see that almost 2,000 Chinese people from all over the world travel to see Fan Zhendong play. You can also see that they are fans of one person – regardless of wins or losses.

What happens now in Saarbrücken after the European Championships break?

Fan has gone back to China for now and won't be back until December. Until then, we'll try to play successfully again so that we can compete for titles with Fan.

Thank you very much for talking to us, Patrick Franziska.

Florian Manzke

Featured image above: Patrick Franziska (1. FC Saarbrücken TT)