On the final day of play at the European Teams Championships Stage 1 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12 teams secured their place at the European Teams Championships Final, which will take place in Zadar, Croatia, from October 12th to 19th. In the Women’s Team Event, the qualifiers are Netherlands, England, Greece, Belgium, Slovenia, and Bulgaria. In the Men’s Team Event, the qualifiers are Greece, Spain, Netherlands, Moldova, Finland, and Türkiye. The top-seeded teams in the Women’s Event — Netherlands, England, Greece, and Belgium — secured their spots in Zadar during the final duel of the Group Stage, leaving the defeated teams to compete in playoff matches for the two remaining positions. The Netherlands defeated Moldova 3-1, with Shuohan MEN remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament. MEN is one of only three players in the Women’s Event to achieve this status in Sarajevo. England overcame Slovenia 3-2, led by Tin-Tin HO, who also finished Stage 1 undefeated. Greece edged Bulgaria 3-2, with Aikaterini TOLIOU maintaining her perfect record. Belgium defeated Switzerland, ending Swiss star Rachel MORET’s flawless run. MORET suffered her second defeat in the final match against Margo DEGRAEF. In the playoff matches, Slovenia beat Switzerland in straight matches, whilst Bulgaria needed full five matches to overcame Moldova. In Phase 2 of the Men’s Event, the top-seeded team, Greece, secured three consecutive wins. In their final group match, they defeated Türkiye to maintain their flawless record. For the No. 2 seeds, Finland, the outcome was the opposite. They were defeated by Moldova, ranked 19th, in what was the biggest upset of the tournament. Vladislav URSU recorded a perfect 12 wins out of 12 matches, leading Moldova to a remarkable achievement. Seeded No. 3, Spain also secured their place in Zadar. They were led by the event’s highest-ranked player, Alvaro ROBLES, who preserved his unbeaten status, although he participated in only two matches. In their final group match, Spain overcame Lithuania. The clash between No. 4 seeded Norway and No. 5 seeded Netherlands concluded in favor of the lower-ranked team. The result wasn’t entirely expected. The defeat of one of the tournament’s highest-ranked players, Borgar HAUG, in the last match was a surprise. HAUG, who had previously secured nine wins, was defeated by Kas VAN OOST and Gabrielius CAMARA. In the playoff matches, Finland beat Lithuania 3-0, while Türkiye succeeded against Norway by same margin. See the pictures here.

The top teams entered the second phase of the European Teams Championships Stage 1 in Sarajevo. The second group stage produced no upsets in the opening round. In the Women’s Team Event, only teams seeded in positions two and three were on duty in the morning session. The Netherlands, England, Greece, and Belgium will play in round two against the lowest-seeded teams. Moldova beat Latvia 3-0, Slovenia beat Norway 3-2, Bulgaria prevailed against Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0, and Switzerland beat Denmark 3-1. In the Men’s Event, top seeds felt the heat from the beginning of the day, as there are four teams in each of the four groups. Greece and Türkiye successfully completed their tasks by overcoming Iceland and Luxembourg. Matthias Por SANDHOLT of Iceland scored again today, defeating Georgios STAMATOUROS. SANDHOLT has now won three out of six matches at the Championships so far, a commendable record for the Iceland team. In Group 2, Finland and Moldova prevailed against Wales and Bulgaria. In Group 3, Spain and Lithuania overcame Cyprus and Ireland, respectively. In Group 4, Norway prevailed against Scotland, while the Netherlands edged Switzerland. The 3-2 result was expected, as four out of six players from both teams compete in the Dutch league and are familiar with each other’s style. Only the winners from Stage 1 will qualify for the Final Stage in Zadar. The second-placed teams will play additional matches to determine the two remaining spots in the Final Stage.

Great drama and a thrilling turnaround marked the final match of the Women’s Teams Event Phase One at the 2025 European Teams Championships Stage 1 in Sarajevo. Belgium and Slovenia battled fiercely for the top position in Group D, with Belgium ultimately prevailing in a full five-match thriller. Slovenia’s Sara TOKIC and Ana TOFANT started strong, defeating Julie VAN HAUWARET and Lilou MASSART, respectively. However, Margo DEGRAEF turned the tide of the match. “Despite the advantage Slovenia built, we never felt like we were behind. Every match was close and could have gone either way. The Slovenian team surprised us by placing Sara TOKIC as their first player, which didn’t work in our favor. But we knew the team draw worked to our advantage for the second half of the match, and that proved right,” explained VAN HAUWARET. DEGRAEF won a nail-biting five-game match against Katarina STRAZAR, reigniting Belgium’s momentum. Both teams had already secured a place among the top 12 for the next stage, but the match determined who would take the top spot in Group D. “You have to approach every match as if it’s a final. Only that kind of mentality can bring results. We gave everything we had,” said VAN HAUWARET. In addition to Belgium and Slovenia, Latvia also advanced to the next phase, while Cyprus will compete in the 13–17 playoff. The top seeds in the Women’s Teams Event, the Netherlands, faced a tough challenge against Bosnia and Herzegovina but successfully defended their top spot in Group A. Bulgaria finished second, followed by Denmark with two wins. The hosts, Bosnia and Herzegovina, placed fourth and, along with Scotland, will play in the 13–17 playoff. In Group B, England remained undefeated, with Switzerland and Lithuania securing the other two qualifying spots. Greenland will head to the playoff. Greece delivered a powerful performance in Group C, securing their place among the top 12 teams. Moldova, with two wins, and Norway, with one, also advanced. Finland will compete in the playoff. The top 3 teams from each group advanced to the Main Stage (positions 1-12). The remaining teams will compete for positions 13-17. Main Stage (Positions 1-12) 4 groups of 3 teams The group winners qualify directly for the ETC Final Stage. The second-placed teams will play additional matches for the two remaining spots in the Final Stage. Main Stage (Positions 13-17) One group of 5 (Round-robin)

The first phase of the 2025 European Teams Championships Stage 1 concluded, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the Main Stage (positions 1–16), forming four new groups of four teams each. The fifth and sixth-placed teams will compete for positions 17–21 in a round-robin format. There were no surprises in the top-seeds department. Greece, led by Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS, Konstantinos ANGELAKIS, and Georgios STAMATOUROS, dominated Group A with victories in all four matches, overcoming Switzerland, Latvia, Cyprus, and Moldova. Despite being ranked fifth in the group, Moldova finished in second place. “We had our toughest match at the very beginning of the Championships. Moldova, with Vladislav URSU and a very strong No. 2 player, Andrei PUTUNTICA, was a tough adversary despite their rankings. We knew if we beat them, we would justify our first place in the group,” said ANGELAKIS. Moldova lived up to expectations, with URSU winning both his matches and putting Greece under immense pressure. However, the top seeds showed their depth, relying on all three players to secure a narrow win. In all other matches, Greece recorded straight-match victories. When asked to evaluate the competition, ANGELAKIS highlighted several dangerous teams. “Spain is very dangerous. Hopefully, we will avoid them in the next stage of the Championships if they finish first in their group. They are favorites for the spot in Zadar, with very strong players in all three positions. Norway with Borgar HAUG is a threat, as is Bulgaria with three solid players,” added ANGELAKIS. Bulgaria showed their strength by pushing Spain to the brink in Group C. Spain needed just one point to remain on top of the standings, but Bulgaria had other plans. Vladimir PETKOV defeated Daniel BERZOSA, and Yoan VELICHOV overcame Juan PEREZ. However, Rafael DE LAS HERAS secured a crucial win over Denislav KODJABASHEV in five grueling games (12-10 in the decisive game), ensuring Spain retained the top position in the group. From Group A, Greece, Moldova, Switzerland, and Cyprus advanced to the next stage, while Latvia moves to the 17–21 playoff. In Group B, Finland, Netherlands, Ireland, and Iceland secured progression, with Estonia heading to the playoff. From Group C, Spain, Türkiye, Bulgaria and Scotland moved forward, while Bosnia and Herzegovina will play in the 17–21 bracket. Group D saw Norway, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Wales advancing, while San Marino and Greenland will compete in the playoff. The winner of each group in phase two qualifies directly for the ETC Final Stage. The second-placed teams will play an additional match to secure the final two spots in the Final Stage. Positions 17-21 One group of five teams in a round-robin format. See pictures of Day 3 here

The opening group stage of the Men’s Event at the 2025 European Teams Championships Stage 1 in Sarajevo is progressing without major upsets. On the second day of play in the Bosnian capital, the top favorites mostly prevailed, with the exception of Luxembourg. While their loss to Lithuania went against the seedings, it was not entirely unexpected. The top seeds, Greece, recorded their second win of the event this morning against Cyprus. Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS, Konstantinos ANGELAKIS, and Georgios STAMATOUROS secured a 3-0 victory in straight matches. Cyprus, with one win over Latvia in three encounters, continues to fight for a spot. Meanwhile, the no. 2 seeds Switzerland have recorded two wins and one defeat. In Group B, Finland’s Benedek OLAH, Alex NAUMI, and Lassi LEHTOLA defeated Iceland 3-0 this morning, adding a second consecutive win to their record. The Netherlands’ Milo DE BOER, Kas VAN OOST, Barry BERBEN, and Gabrielius CAMARA remain unbeaten, with three wins over Ireland, Iceland, and Estonia. Group C features two unbeaten teams. Spain, represented by Rafael DE LAS HERAS, Juan PEREZ, and Albert VIRALDEL, added another 3-0 win to their record by defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina. Türkiye, with Abdullah YIGENLER, Ibrahim GÜNDÜZ, and Ziver GÜNDÜZ, also impressed, defeating Bulgaria. Türkiye leads the group with three wins, having dropped only one individual match. In Group D, Norway’s Borger HAUG, Martin FROSETH, and Alexander FRANSSON secured their third win today by defeating Wales. Lithuania, represented by Kestutis ZEIMYS, Ignas SISANOVAS, and Lukas RIMKUS, also remains at the top with three victories. In a thrilling five-match clash, Lithuania overcame the higher-seeded Luxembourg team. Luka MLADENOVIC delivered a strong performance for Luxembourg, winning both his matches, including a narrow five-game victory over ZEIMYS that ended 14-12 in the decisive game. However, the absence of Luxembourg’s second player, Mael van DESSEL, due to military obligations, was acutely felt. In the decisive match, SISANOVAS defeated Gene WANTZ to seal Lithuania’s victory. Despite the setback, Luxembourg has two wins in the group, achieved against Wales and San Marino. You can see the pictures here. Tournament Format The Stage 1 competition will follow a group-stage system for both the men’s and women’s events. Men’s Competition The top 4 teams from each group advance to the Main Stage (positions 1-16). The 5th and 6th placed teams will compete for positions 17-21 in a round-robin format. Main Stage (Positions 1-16) The winner of each group qualifies directly for the ETC Final Stage. The second-placed teams will play an additional match to secure the final two spots in the Final Stage. Main Stage (Positions 17-21) 1 group of 5 teams in a round-robin format. Men’s Teams: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, and Wales.

Bosnia and Herzegovina came close to creating a major upset on home soil against the No. 1 seed in the Women’s Teams Event at the 2025 European Teams Championships Stage 1 in Sarajevo. However, after a valiant effort in a full five-match thriller, the Netherlands ultimately prevailed. In Group A’s third round, the Netherlands started strong with Shuohan MEN defeating Ajna ZLOTRG, but Emina CERIC leveled the score by beating Tanja HELLE. Ana SLADOJE then widened the gap for Bosnia and Herzegovina with a five-game win over Sanne DE HOOP. Under immense pressure, the Dutch team fought back. MEN narrowly won the opening game against CERIC before taking full control of the match. In the decisive game, HELLE overcame SLADOJE to secure the Netherlands’ third win in the group. Bulgaria also remains unbeaten in Group A, with Tsvetelina GEORGIEVA, Kalina HRISTOVA, and Viktoria PERSOVA having one match less than the Netherlands. In Group B, England and Switzerland share the lead with two wins each. England’s Tianer YU, Tin-Tin HO, and Jasmin WONG overcame Lithuania, while Switzerland’s Fanny DOUTAZ, Cynthia LILLY, and Rachel MORET triumphed over Greenland. Greece is the sole unbeaten team in Group C. Akaterini TOLIOU, Malamatenia PAPADIMITRIOU, and Ioanna GERASIMATOU defeated Norway in their latest encounter. In Group D, Belgium and Slovenia both recorded two wins. Julie VAN HAUWAERT, Lilou MASSART, and Eloise DUVIVIER led Belgium to victory against Latvia, while Slovenia’s Sara TOKIC, Ana TOFANT, and Lara OPEKA overcame Cyprus. You can see the pictures here. Tournament Format The Stage 1 competition will follow a group-stage system for both the men’s and women’s events. Women’s Competition The top 3 teams from each group advance to the Main Stage (positions 1-12). The remaining teams will compete for positions 13-17. Main Stage (Positions 1-12) The group winners qualify directly for the ETC Final Stage. The second-placed teams will play additional matches for the two remaining spots in the Final Stage. Main Stage (Positions 13-17) One group of 5 (Round-robin) Women’s Teams: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, England, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Slovenia, Switzerland. Men’s Teams: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, and Wales.