The semi-final return of the Champions League between the Russian clubs of Orenburg and Ekaterinburg, which was to be played this Friday, has been postponed by the European Federation (ETTU), due to the war in Ukraine. The match must be played outside of Russia, but the impossibility of moving Russian clubs outside the borders makes this relocation impossible for the moment.
In the first leg, on February 16, Fakel Gazprom Orenburg, in which the German born in Kiev Dimitrij Ovtcharov, five times titled since 2012, played, won 3-1.
The other semi-final, between the German clubs of Düsseldorf (12 titles) and Saarbrücken will take place on Thursday. In the first leg, Düsseldorf, which on Friday refused to play in Russia in the event of qualification for the final, pending a decision on Russia’s participation in European table tennis competitions, won 3-0.
The ETTU, chaired by Russian Igor Levitin, says “follow recommendations” of the International Table Tennis Federation. Last weekend in Montreux (Switzerland), the two Russian athletes involved in the European Top 16 were deprived of their flag.
