European Champions League (ECL) is the seasonal table tennis competition for the highest ranked European club teams and is regarded as the most important international club competition in Europe. It is organised by the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) and replaced the European Club Cup of Champions (ECCC), the previous prominent club competition, since the 1998/99 season. Originally there is only a men competition while a women competition was introduced in the 2005/06 season. The competition starts in September and the champions are usually determined in May in recent years.
Belgian club La Villette Charleroi is the most successful club in the history of the men's competition, being the champions from 2001 to 2004 and having won the competition for 5 times, while Italy's topclub Sterilgarda TT Castelgoffredo has won the women's league twice, being the most successful club in the women's competition. The Finals of 07/08 season were held in April to early May, with Austrian club SVS Niederösterreich became the champions of the men's competition, and Dutch club MF Services Heerlen has been declared to be the winner of the women's league after German club FSV Kroppach are known to be unable to play on the fixed date of the second leg.
History
The Men’s Champions League was first organised in the 1998/99 season, with the aim to replace the European Club Cup of Champions, the previous highest level European club competition since 1960/61 season. In the second season (99/00), the playing system is changed. The maximum number of games had been reduced from 7 to 5, and the double had been cancelled, with the aim of having a better presentation in TV and more excitement for the spectators. The competition came into a new era in 2005/06, when the Women's Champions League started with 8 clubs and the men's league was expanded from 8 to 16 clubs, enabling a greater number of nations to participate. These changes were undertaken in the hopes of making table tennis more popular in a European level as well as motivating the coming generation.
Qualification
Only teams from any top National Leagues have the right to enter in the competition. For the Men’s competition, the 4 semi-finalists of the previous year are automatically included in the competition. The remaining 12 places are filled by the 12 teams with the highest total number of ranking points for their three best ranked players on the current world ranking, with only one "foreign player" being considered.
For the women’s league, previous year’s two finalists will compete in the competition with the six teams with the highest total number of ranking points for their three best ranked players, also with only one "foreign player" being considered.
Moreover, there is a limitation on the number of clubs from the same nations. Not more than 4 or 3 clubs, Men’s and Women’s respectively, from the same association are entitled the right to enter in the competition. In the Men’s competition, if the semi-finalists of the previous year came from the same association and a 5th team has the highest ranking points, the ranking of the final national team championships will decide on the qualification.
Format
The league is completed in two stages. The first stage is the group round robin matches while the second stage is the straight 2-leg knock-out stage. For the men’s league, the 16 teams are divided into 4 groups within which they play round robin matches. The 4 teams with the highest ranking points will be seeded and play in the 4 groups respectively. During the group stage, 2 match points are awarded for a win, 1 for a loss and 0 for a loss in a not played or unfinished match, and the ranking order is determined by the numbers of match points gained.
If 2 or more teams have gained the same number of match points, their relative position are determined by the results only of the matches between them, taking successively the numbers of match points, the ratios of wins to losses in individual matches, games and points, as far as it is necessary to resolve the order. Lot is used to determined the position if teams are equal in all of the above criteria.
The top two teams in each group qualified for the knock-out stage. Those 8 teams will play in a single knock-out system, with quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, to determine the winner of the competition. At any stages 2 legs, home and away, are played for each tie, and teams win the tie if they win both legs. If each team wins one leg, the result is determined by aggregate score first in individual matches, then in games and finally in points.
The women’s competition is held in similar format with the men’s league, with the exception that the 8 teams are divided into 2 groups and the 2 teams with the highest ranking points will be the seeds.
Playing System
The competition is played under the new Swaythling Cup system (best of 5 singles). A team is consisted of 3 players selected from those nominated for the event. The opposite teams play 5 single matches with the match order A v X, B v Y, C v Z, A v Y, B v X. The team match will end if one of the teams has won 3 matches.
Composition of teams
A club may nominate up to 8 players for the entire event, within which there can be a maximum of 2 foreign players. Only 1 foreign player can play in each team match and only players who have participated in at least 50% of the group matches are eligible to play the second stage. Reserve players being present in the hall will be considered as participants of the match, if confirmed on the result sheet by the referee.
Each player can only play for one club in a season. This regulation also applies to players taking part in any other team competition on national level under the authority of an ITTF member association, except commitments for their national team.
Belgian club La Villette Charleroi is the most successful club in the history of the men's competition, being the champions from 2001 to 2004 and having won the competition for 5 times, while Italy's topclub Sterilgarda TT Castelgoffredo has won the women's league twice, being the most successful club in the women's competition. The Finals of 07/08 season were held in April to early May, with Austrian club SVS Niederösterreich became the champions of the men's competition, and Dutch club MF Services Heerlen has been declared to be the winner of the women's league after German club FSV Kroppach are known to be unable to play on the fixed date of the second leg.
History
The Men’s Champions League was first organised in the 1998/99 season, with the aim to replace the European Club Cup of Champions, the previous highest level European club competition since 1960/61 season. In the second season (99/00), the playing system is changed. The maximum number of games had been reduced from 7 to 5, and the double had been cancelled, with the aim of having a better presentation in TV and more excitement for the spectators. The competition came into a new era in 2005/06, when the Women's Champions League started with 8 clubs and the men's league was expanded from 8 to 16 clubs, enabling a greater number of nations to participate. These changes were undertaken in the hopes of making table tennis more popular in a European level as well as motivating the coming generation.
Qualification
Only teams from any top National Leagues have the right to enter in the competition. For the Men’s competition, the 4 semi-finalists of the previous year are automatically included in the competition. The remaining 12 places are filled by the 12 teams with the highest total number of ranking points for their three best ranked players on the current world ranking, with only one "foreign player" being considered.
For the women’s league, previous year’s two finalists will compete in the competition with the six teams with the highest total number of ranking points for their three best ranked players, also with only one "foreign player" being considered.
Moreover, there is a limitation on the number of clubs from the same nations. Not more than 4 or 3 clubs, Men’s and Women’s respectively, from the same association are entitled the right to enter in the competition. In the Men’s competition, if the semi-finalists of the previous year came from the same association and a 5th team has the highest ranking points, the ranking of the final national team championships will decide on the qualification.
Format
The league is completed in two stages. The first stage is the group round robin matches while the second stage is the straight 2-leg knock-out stage. For the men’s league, the 16 teams are divided into 4 groups within which they play round robin matches. The 4 teams with the highest ranking points will be seeded and play in the 4 groups respectively. During the group stage, 2 match points are awarded for a win, 1 for a loss and 0 for a loss in a not played or unfinished match, and the ranking order is determined by the numbers of match points gained.
If 2 or more teams have gained the same number of match points, their relative position are determined by the results only of the matches between them, taking successively the numbers of match points, the ratios of wins to losses in individual matches, games and points, as far as it is necessary to resolve the order. Lot is used to determined the position if teams are equal in all of the above criteria.
The top two teams in each group qualified for the knock-out stage. Those 8 teams will play in a single knock-out system, with quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, to determine the winner of the competition. At any stages 2 legs, home and away, are played for each tie, and teams win the tie if they win both legs. If each team wins one leg, the result is determined by aggregate score first in individual matches, then in games and finally in points.
The women’s competition is held in similar format with the men’s league, with the exception that the 8 teams are divided into 2 groups and the 2 teams with the highest ranking points will be the seeds.
Playing System
The competition is played under the new Swaythling Cup system (best of 5 singles). A team is consisted of 3 players selected from those nominated for the event. The opposite teams play 5 single matches with the match order A v X, B v Y, C v Z, A v Y, B v X. The team match will end if one of the teams has won 3 matches.
Composition of teams
A club may nominate up to 8 players for the entire event, within which there can be a maximum of 2 foreign players. Only 1 foreign player can play in each team match and only players who have participated in at least 50% of the group matches are eligible to play the second stage. Reserve players being present in the hall will be considered as participants of the match, if confirmed on the result sheet by the referee.
Each player can only play for one club in a season. This regulation also applies to players taking part in any other team competition on national level under the authority of an ITTF member association, except commitments for their national team.
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