France has ended a 27-year drought by claiming the men's European Team Table Tennis Championship title, defeating Romania 3-0 in a dominant display at the 2025 championships held in Zadar, Croatia from October 12-19.

The French squad, featuring rising stars Alexis Lebrun and FΓ©lix Lebrun alongside veteran Simon Gauzy, delivered what organizers described as a perfect tournament from start to finish. Their comprehensive victory over Romania's Iulian Chirita, Eduard Ionescu, and Ovidiu Ionescu marked France's first European team title since 1998, ending nearly three decades of waiting for continental glory.

The triumph represents a significant milestone for French table tennis, particularly highlighting the emergence of the Lebrun brothers as forces in European competition. Their performances throughout the tournament demonstrated the depth and quality that has been building in the French program over recent years.

Germany, despite missing out on the men's title after falling to France in the semifinals, secured a bronze medal. Slovenia claimed the other bronze position in the men's competition.

On the women's side, Germany continued their remarkable dominance by capturing their tenth European title overall and third consecutive championship. The German team of Sabine Winter, Annett Kaufmann, and Nina Mittelham swept Romania 3-0 in the final, maintaining an impressive unbeaten streak.

The women's final featured several closely contested matches despite the clean sweep. Annett Kaufmann battled past Bernadette SzΓΆcs in a thrilling five-game encounter, winning 3-2 with scores of 11-4, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 5-11. Sabine Winter defeated Elizabeta Samara 3-1, posting victories of 11-5, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7. Nina Mittelham completed the German triumph with a 3-1 victory over Andreea Dragoman, recording scores of 14-12, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5.

Portugal and the Netherlands shared the bronze medals in the women's competition, both teams enjoying successful campaigns in Croatia.

The European Team Championships serve as one of the continent's premier table tennis events, bringing together the strongest national teams every two years. Germany's women have now established themselves as the dominant force in European team competition, having won in 2021, 2023, and now 2025.

For France, the men's victory signals a changing of the guard in European table tennis. The combination of youthful talent and experienced leadership proved to be the winning formula in Zadar, suggesting that French table tennis may be entering a golden era. The question now is whether this young French squad can maintain their momentum and challenge for honors at the world level in the coming years.