The opening group stage of the Men’s Event at the 2025 European Teams Championships Stage 1 in Sarajevo is progressing without major upsets. On the second day of play in the Bosnian capital, the top favorites mostly prevailed, with the exception of Luxembourg. While their loss to Lithuania went against the seedings, it was not entirely unexpected.
The top seeds, Greece, recorded their second win of the event this morning against Cyprus. Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS, Konstantinos ANGELAKIS, and Georgios STAMATOS secured a 3-0 victory in straight matches. Cyprus, with one win over Latvia in three encounters, continues to fight for a spot. Meanwhile, the no. 2 seeds Switzerland have recorded two wins and one defeat.
In Group B, Finland’s Benedek OLAH, Alex NAUMI, and Lassi LEHTOLA defeated Iceland 3-0 this morning, adding a second consecutive win to their record. The Netherlands’ Milo DE BOER, Kas VAN OOST, Barry BERBEN, and Gabrielius CAMARA remain unbeaten, with three wins over Ireland, Iceland, and Estonia.
Group C features two unbeaten teams. Spain, represented by Rafael DE LAS HERAS, Juan PEREZ, and Albert VIRALDEL, added another 3-0 win to their record by defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina. Türkiye, with Abdullah YIGENLER, Ibrahim GÜNDÜZ, and Ziver GÜNDÜZ, also impressed, defeating Bulgaria. Türkiye leads the group with three wins, having dropped only one individual match.
In Group D, Norway’s Borger HAUG, Martin FROSETH, and Alexander FRANSSON secured their third win today by defeating Wales. Lithuania, represented by Kestutis ZEIMYS, Ignas SISANOVAS, and Lukas RIMKUS, also remains at the top with three victories. In a thrilling five-match clash, Lithuania overcame the higher-seeded Luxembourg team.
Luka MLADENOVIC delivered a strong performance for Luxembourg, winning both his matches, including a narrow five-game victory over ZEIMYS that ended 14-12 in the decisive game. However, the absence of Luxembourg’s second player, Mael van DESSEL, due to military obligations, was acutely felt. In the decisive match, SISANOVAS defeated Gene WANTZ to seal Lithuania’s victory.
Despite the setback, Luxembourg has two wins in the group, achieved against Wales and San Marino.
You can see the pictures here.
Tournament Format
The Stage 1 competition will follow a group-stage system for both the men’s and women’s events.
Men’s Competition
- 21 teams divided into 4 groups:
- 1 group of 6 teams
- 3 groups of 5 teams
The top 4 teams from each group advance to the Main Stage (positions 1-16).
The 5th and 6th placed teams will compete for positions 17-21 in a round-robin format.
Main Stage (Positions 1-16)
- 4 groups of 4 teams.
The winner of each group qualifies directly for the ETC Final Stage.
The second-placed teams will play an additional match to secure the final two spots in the Final Stage.
Main Stage (Positions 17-21)
1 group of 5 teams in a round-robin format.
Men’s Teams: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, and Wales.
