The team manager revealed Fan Zhendong s motivation to join: I like Europe very much and want to become a German champion!

On June 7, German media disclosed more detailed insider information about the recent popular European table tennis world "Fan Zhendong joins the Bundesliga table tennis powerhouse Salbrücken". One of the contents has attracted much attention, namely, Fan Zhendong's real motivation and goal of joining the Bundesliga team: his yearning for European life, his agreement with his close friend Francesca, and his competitive ambition to "become a German champion"!

As early as June 1, 2025, a Bundesliga Sarbrücken Club officially announced that it shocked the table tennis world: Chinese Grand Slam winner Fan Zhendong officially joined and will compete in the 2025-2026 Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League. This news quickly triggered global sports media. The inside story details disclosed by German "Kickers" and "South Deutsches" and other media outlets revealed the deep motivation of the Olympic champion to travel to Europe, his yearning for European life, his agreement with his close friend Francesca, and his competitive ambition to "become a German champion"

According to Nicholas Balouva, the manager of Sarbrücken Club, German national player Patrick Francesca is a key figure in the transfer. The two have a close relationship and often in international competitions. There was a chat between events. During a conversation, Francesca said to Fan Zhendong half-jokingly: "If you want to come to Germany to play one day, remember to contact me." At that time, although Fan Zhendong did not respond clearly, he kept this sentence in his heart. After the 2024 Paris Olympics, Fan Zhendong withdrew from the world rankings due to protesting the WTT's forced participation policy, and had the idea of ​​going to Europe to play. In May this year, he took the initiative to contact Salbrücken through an intermediary and finalized the contract in just 10 days. When Francesca learned the news, Fan Zhendong was watching the Champions League final at the Allianz Stadium in Munich. Old friends on both ends of the phone sighed about the "joke come true" this time

However, from the words of the manager of Salbrücken Club, the most surprising thing is probably Fan Zhendong's motivation and goal! Although he has won all major competitions such as the Olympics, World Championships, and World Cup, the title of "German Champion" is still particularly attractive to Fan Zhendong. Club manager Balua emphasized: "He really wants to be the German champion, which is the core driving force that drives him to join." The Bundesliga brings together the top 20 world players such as Ocharov, Moregard, and Bohr. Their high-intensity confrontation and diversified playing styles are exactly the ideal soil for Fan Zhendong to break through the technical bottleneck, especially his teammate Moregard (Paris Olympic men's singles runner-up) on social platforms: "I can't believe it! We must train with the Olympic champion. ” It also highlights the competitiveness of the European "All-Star" model

In addition to competitive goals, Fan Zhendong's yearning for European life has long laid the groundwork. German star Boer revealed that as early as before the Paris Olympics, when the two watched the Dortmund football match together, Fan Zhendong showed a strong interest in Western sports culture. The day after the transfer was officially announced, a photo of a Chinese fan's encounter was flooded on social networks: Fan Zhendong was wearing casual clothes, eating alone in the park restaurant in Saarbrücken, and brushing his phone with his head down. There was a glass of unfinished beer on the table The relaxed feeling of "no one to watch" is in sharp contrast to his situation where he often causes commotion at home and abroad. Former Chinese table tennis player Yan An said bluntly in the live broadcast: "In Europe, he can live, train and eat like ordinary people, and this 'study abroad' state cannot be replicated in China."

Then for Fan Zhendong, it is not difficult to be a German champion, but even the Champions League champion. First, let's take a look at the strength of the team's lineup. Salbrücken just achieved three consecutive Champions League championships on June 1, and the team has Moregaard, Francesca and Dako. The joining of top players such as Yochick has promoted the team to the "European Universe Team", and German media even compared it to the "Mbappe trade in the table tennis world"; secondly, Fan Zhendong's first three board control complements the ability of European players to be in the middle and far-distance stalemate. In addition, the Bundesliga spans 8 months and only has 2-3 high-intensity games per month, which is already very "easy" for Fan Zhendong, who has adapted to high-intensity WTT events for a long time. Overall, the probability of Fan Zhendong winning the Champions League with the team is quite high. This is not only a reflection of the lineup's paper strength, but also an inevitable projection of his personal technical background