European Champions League (table tennis)
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| Sport | Table tennis |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 |
| No. of teams | 16 (Men's) 6 (Women's) |
| Country | ETTU members |
| Continent | Europe |
| Most recent champion(s) |
 Fakel Gazprom (Men's) Berlin Eastside (Women's) |
| Most titles |
 La Villette Charleroi (Men's) TTC Berlin Eastside (Women's) |
| TV partner(s) | Laola1 |
| Official website | http://www.ettu.org/en/events/table-tennis-champions-league-men/general-information/ |
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 was only a men's competition; a women's 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 five times and been the runners-up for four times, while TTC Berlin Eastside from Germany has won the league four times, making it the most successful club in the women's competition.
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 held since 1960/61 season. In the second season (99/00), the playing system was changed. The maximum number of games had been reduced from seven to five, and the double had been cancelled, with the aim of having a better presentation on 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 eight 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. However, the number of teams in the women's competition decreased from eight to six in season 09/10.
In season 10/11, because of the global financial crisis, there were just four teams entering the women's competition, a number lower than the previous year (there were six teams in season 09/10). As a result, the women's competition was suspended for one year. The men's competition was also affected, causing the number of teams to decrease from 16 to 14.
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