Germany names seven-player squad for 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana, led by Dang QIU

Germany has officially confirmed a seven-player squad for the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The line-up combines some of the country's most experienced names with a new generation ready to make its mark at senior level. Leading the contingent is Dang QIU, 29, a former European champion who knows exactly what it takes to succeed on the continental stage. He won the Men's Singles crown in Munich in 2026, having previously claimed Mixed Doubles gold in Warsaw in 2026 and Team gold in Cluj-Napoca in 2026. He added Team bronze at the 2026 European Championships in Zadar and was runner-up at the Europe Top 16 in 2026. At the 2026 European Games in Kraków-Małopolska, QIU collected two more gold medals, in Mixed Doubles and the Men's Team event. Beyond European competition, he was part of Germany's silver-medal-winning team at the 2026 World Championships in Chengdu and won Mixed Team bronze at the 2026 World Cup. QIU heads to Ljubljana encouraged by his recent victory at the WTT Star Contender Astana, where he defeated reigning European champion Alexis LEBRUN on his way to the title. "Every victory gives you additional confidence, and winning a tournament and beating a world-class player like Alexis Lebrun even more so. But the fact is that the cards are reshuffled every day and I have to continue working hard on myself to be in top form at the European Championships. There is also the China Smash in between, where a lot can happen," QIU said. Germany will have another major contender in Benedikt DUDA, who produced his best European Championships Singles result in Linz two years ago. DUDA reached the final before taking silver behind Alexis LEBRUN, a result that marked the beginning of the strongest period of his career. The 32-year-old also has two European Team titles, from 2026 and 2026, and added bronze at the Europe Top 16 earlier this year. "That period propelled me all the way to No. 8 in the world ranking. In 2026, however, I haven't progressed beyond the Round of 16 at any WTT tournament so far, and as a result I have dropped considerably in the ranking again. I think that after making that rise, I listened to too many people's opinions instead of consistently continuing on my own path. But I am learning from that and will do better again now," DUDA said. Few players in Ljubljana will be able to match the European record of Dimitrij OVTCHAROV. The 38-year-old won the Men's Singles title in 2026 and 2026 and has eight European Team titles to his name. He returned to the Singles podium in Linz in 2026, taking bronze. His record extends far beyond Europe, with six Olympic medals and numerous World Championships honours, but OVTCHAROV believes he can still challenge Europe's best. "I have won two gold medals, one silver and three bronze medals. So the European Championships are a tournament that I have always really enjoyed and where I have usually played very well. My victory over Truls Möregardh a few weeks ago gave me a lot of confidence and the feeling that I can beat anyone and that I still belong among the title contenders. My goal is to win another medal. And once you reach the semi-finals, of course you want to go even further," OVTCHAROV said. Patrick FRANZISKA adds further experience to the German line-up. The 34-year-old is a former Europe Top 16 champion and has won four European Team titles, as well as European Men's Doubles gold in 2026. He also has European Championships medals in Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles. "The European Championships are as evenly matched as they have been for a long time. There are many very strong players in Europe. Of course, I am once again travelling there with high expectations, but making a prediction is difficult. There are many players who can win the tournament or go very far. That's why you simply have to take it round by round and see what is possible," FRANZISKA said. Germany's challenge will also include two players who earned their places through the 2026 European Under 21 Championships. European Under 21 champion Andre BERTELSMEIER returns to the senior continental stage after reaching the Round of 16 on his European Championships debut in 2026, while European Under 21 runner-up Wim VERDONSCHOT will make his first appearance at the senior event. "My title at the European Under 21 Championships and reaching the Round of 16 in 2026 show that on a good day I can already cause problems for the leading players. Of course, my goal is also to challenge the established players. However, the depth of quality in Europe is incredibly high. Almost anyone can beat anyone, so every round at the European Championships is a major challenge," BERTELSMEIER said. VERDONSCHOT is approaching his senior European Championships debut without putting additional pressure on himself. "Since it is my first senior European Championships, I'll just see what is possible. Of course, I want to get through qualification and then simply see how far the journey takes me. I hope I can produce my best table tennis and get the maximum out of myself," he said. Kay STUMPER completes Germany's seven-player squad. Already a European Team champion and World Championships Team silver medallist, he will make his European Individual Championships debut in Ljubljana. "I simply want to play as well as possible. I'm in good form at the moment and, of course, I would like to go far. I'm familiar with major tournaments, but I haven't played at a European Individual Championships before. I'm really looking forward to it," STUMPER said. Germany will also have considerable experience in the Doubles events. QIU will partner DUDA in Men's Doubles, while FRANZISKA and OVTCHAROV join forces. For QIU and DUDA, Ljubljana presents an opportunity to add one of the few European honours still missing from their partnership. "Benne and I are a world-class doubles pair, but surprisingly we really are still missing that European Championships medal. We have been working towards it for quite some time. We hope that, with a little luck, it will finally happen in Ljubljana," QIU said. Overall, Germany's 2026 squad has a clear three-tier structure. The first tier consists of players who have already stood on the top step of the podium in Europe and the world: Dang QIU, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Benedikt DUDA. The second tier is made up of veterans who still hold international class, such as Patrick FRANZISKA. The third tier features the young duo Andre BERTELSMEIER and Wim VERDONSCHOT, who qualified directly through the 2026 European Under 21 Championships, alongside Kay STUMPER, who is making his continental individual debut. That balance matters because European table tennis is witnessing an ever-narrowing gap between its leading groups. Alexis LEBRUN, the reigning European champion, remains the most talked-about name, but it was Dang QIU who beat him at the WTT Star Contender Astana. Truls Möregardh, a player who has troubled OVTCHAROV in the past, lost to the 38-year-old just weeks ago. Those results suggest the men's singles landscape in Europe is no longer dominated by a fixed set of names. Tactically, the German squad has an advantage in its ability to cover multiple events. In Men's Singles they have three players who have reached European semi-finals or finals. In Men's Doubles they field two highly rated pairs, with the QIU-DUDA combination described by QIU himself as world-class. In the Team event, the experience of OVTCHAROV and FRANZISKA, who share twelve European Team titles between them, provides a solid foundation. The psychological dimension is also notable. Benedikt DUDA openly admits he lost his way after climbing to No. 8 in the world, listening to too many outside opinions instead of staying true to his own path. Speaking about it publicly suggests careful mental preparation for a tournament where the pressure runs high. Wim VERDONSCHOT, meanwhile, has chosen not to add extra pressure in his senior debut, while Andre BERTELSMEIER has set his sights on challenging established players. For Dimitrij OVTCHAROV, Ljubljana may be one of the last European Championships of his career at the very top. He has won two Men's Singles golds, one silver and three bronze medals at this event, along with six Olympic medals. His stated goal of winning another medal is not an empty claim, given recent form that shows he can still beat leading players. For Dang QIU, the target is clearer: defend his standing as European champion and complete the collection with the Men's Doubles title. For Benedikt DUDA, it is a chance to recapture the peak period that carried him to the Linz final. For Patrick FRANZISKA, it is an opportunity to prove that experience remains a valuable weapon in a tournament where, in his own words, almost anyone can beat anyone. The 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana is therefore not only a test of German ambition but also a measure of the depth of a table tennis nation that continues to hand down its legacy from one generation to the next. Seven players, three European champions, two young athletes fresh from the Under 21 stage and two highly rated men's doubles pairs: that is the identity of the German team in Slovenia.