The TTCL Management Board meeting was held in Munich on 28th April in the presence of ETTU President Ronald KRAMER and all TTCL Management Board members: Andreas PREUSS Loïc BRÉHU (club representatives) Nikolas ENDAL Pierre KASS (ETTU) Philipp MOEHRING and Bianka STAK (tsmg – ETTU´s media & marketing partner). Protocol included eight topics with many important changes for next season in Europe’s elite club competition.
The national Associations will receive the new Regulations. May 20th is the deadline of this postal ballot and three days later the clubs can start to register via their national Association for the European Club Competition Men.
To avoid the situations like abrupt match endings and participation with an incomplete team it is recommended that a team always arrives at a match with at least 4 eligible players to reduce the risk of walk overs in case player(s) get ill or injured shortly before the match start or during the match. When walk overs could have been avoided by the participation of the club’s reserve player the club may be fined by the Club Competition Official. This recommendation is based on a requirement for fair play towards the TTCL the opponent club spectators media and the Table Tennis sport.
To avoid “show matches” with no importance in the 2nd leg the Board discussed a number of suggestions and proposals but after much debate the Board decided to give it further consideration and thought it wiser to postpone a decision.
ETTU does no longer prevent players to play during the Club Competition for another club except a club which is playing in the European Club Competition. The responsibility for player participation in competitions other than the ETTU club competitions remains with the national Associations and the clubs themselves.
The Board decided the matches will be played Wednesdays till Fridays except for the weeks when European Championships Qualification matches (Tuesdays) are played. In that case TTCL matches will be held Thursdays and Fridays.
The Board discussed prize money allocation to the clubs in case of a title sponsor.
Further modifications in media and marketing were accepted and the draw for the KO rounds were „opened” so that a group winner and group runner-up from the same group may meet already in the semifinal.
The TTCL Group Rounds Draw will take place on 24th June in Vienna followed by the official clubs meeting.
The competition starts 5th October.
The TTCL Final Rounds Draw will take place on 21st December either in Vienna or in Luxembourg.
ETTU will propose its member Associations at the same time also new rules for the Women’s European Club Competition.