Despite China’s dominant 3-0 victory over Japan in the recently concluded World Table Tennis Championships, many fans still miss Fan Zhendong, believing the national team’s current strength doesn’t guarantee a 100% championship win. Meanwhile, Fan has become a massive crowd-puller in the German Bundesliga.
This season, Fan Zhendong has been playing for Saarbrücken, bringing immense popularity to the small Bundesliga club. He will now help Saarbrücken compete for both the Champions League and Bundesliga titles. However, Fan is set to leave Saarbrücken after this season.
On July 1, Fan Zhendong will join Bundesliga powerhouse Düsseldorf. Even before his arrival, the club’s management is overjoyed by the effect he has already generated. Reports indicate that 150 German companies have placed competitive bids to become sponsors for Düsseldorf next season.
A Chinese company confirmed it has won a sponsorship bid, stating, “We are a German-based exhibition company. We support our own player not for profit, but to show that Chinese pride should be backed by Chinese people.”
Wang Liqin, the national team head coach, has repeatedly expressed his desire to bring Fan Zhendong back to the national squad. However, Fan missed the World Championships roster. The national team recently announced the selection criteria for the Asian Games, indicating Fan will also miss that event.
Chinese fans widely hope Fan Zhendong will not miss the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. A media commentator noted that Fan’s return would bring two key benefits: first, a lineup of Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin, and any third player (like Lin Shidong or Liang Jingkun) would be nearly unbeatable; second, Fan would serve as a role model for younger players. The commentator added, “I believe Wang Liqin, Qin Zhijian, Xiao Zhan, and Wang Hao all understand this.”