Miscellaneous

Table tennis star Fan Zhendong has ushered in a new era at German record champion Borussia Düsseldorf, accompanied by an enormous media presence. “I want to embark on this next adventure and leave a legacy at this great club,” said the Olympic champion—who joined from triple-title winner 1. FC Saarbrücken—at Düsseldorf City Hall as he signed the city’s Golden Book, an event broadcast live to his native China.

Standing alongside Borussia icon Timo Boll—who stepped down a year ago and is now a club ambassador—Fan set the bar as high as possible: “My friend Timo has told me a lot about Borussia and Düsseldorf; I know the club’s rich history. We want to win every title.” Last season, the 29-year-old played a key role in Saarbrücken’s clean sweep of the Champions League, league title, and cup. On Saturday (8:00 p.m./Dyn), he’ll make his debut for the Rhinelanders in Düsseldorf’s first home game of the new Bundesliga season against TSV Bad Königshofen.

For Düsseldorf’s manager Andreas Preuß, however, the “Fan factor” isn’t measured solely by new trophies. “We want to build something sustainable with Fan. He’s helping us break into a new dimension because, as a person, Fan is an inspiration to everyone. This transfer holds a lot of potential and is also an opportunity, because Fan opens doors for economic and cultural exchange,” said Preuß, outlining the club’s opportunities for structural development thanks to the two-time world champion and former world No. 1: “It’s not just about more sponsorship revenue, but about leveraging the enormous potential of Fan’s commitment in Germany—for us and for the TTBL as a whole.”

Source: SID
Featured image above: Fan Zhendong (Photo: Borussia Düsseldorf)