England won a classic men’s final with Switzerland and also took the women’s trophy home again on a thrilling finals day at the 2026 ESF European Team Championships.
Switzerland came within one game of clinching the title in their first ever men’s ETC final, but Curtis Malik shifted the momentum at 2/0 down in the final match against Nicolas Mueller to clinch a 46th English title.
Earlier, England’s women won the title for a 44th time by defeating France. The higlight was world no.12 Jasmine Hutton holding off a fierce fightback by the dazzling 18-year-old Lauren Baltayan.
More: Read our report on the Division 2 finals at the Frans Otten Stadion
The men’s final went to the wire. It began with Swiss no.3 Yannick Wilhelmi completing an unbeaten week by defeating world no.44 Patrick Rooney 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7.
Former world no.3 Marwan ElShorbagy then took on fellow showman Dimitri Steinmann and it was a thrilling duel which the Englishman took 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6, settling it with a typically outrageous thrashed forehand nick.
That set up Sam Todd, making his England senior debut at this event, against 20-year-old David Bernet. Yorkshireman Todd was pegged back in the second game, but his class ultimately shone through in a 11-8 6-11 11-9 11-5 triumph.
Malik took on veteran Mueller in the anchor leg and when the 36-year-old went two games up, things looked bleak for England. But the third game saw the momentum turn decisively. As Mueller grew tired and tense, Malik increased the tempo, taking the third 11-7.
England coach Stuart Crawford had calculated that Malik needed just two further points to put England unassailably ahead. Those were secured, and when the world no.26 took the fourth game 11-8, all doubts were ended and the celebrations began.
Malik said: “Nicky came out firing and he wasn’t missing anything. Before I knew it I was 2/0 down.
“It was then a case of getting my mentality right and finishing the match with no regrets. That paid off in the third game and I managed to get the fourth too. I’m absolutely over the moon to get the win for my team.”
In the first match of the women’s final earlier, 18-year-old Baltayan looked a little jaded after her epic victory over Belgium’s Nele Gilis in Friday’s semi-final.
Hutton soared two games ahead, but the French no.1, typically, wouldn’t give in. She saved match ball in taking the third, then saved further match balls in taking the fourth 15-13.
However, world no.13 Hutton, recent winner of the PSA Bronze Hamburg Open, surged into a 6-1 lead in the deciding fifth which she never relinquished, taking the victory 11-5, 11-2, 11-13, 13-15, 11-3.
England no.1 Gina Kennedy polished off victory for the defending champions with a more straight-forward 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 win over Marie Stephan.
“Personally, I’m relieved, but as a team we’re buzzing,” said Hutton. “To do it with this team is very special.
“I felt like I was in control in the first two and even up to 10-8 [in the third] I played really well. But she’s a gutsy player and she pulled out some ridiculous kills. Fair play to her, she’s had an amazing week.”
France won the men’s bronze medals with a 4-0 victory over Germany, while Belgium took the women’s bronze by beating Scotland 3-0.
Poland’s men were relegated in their first ever Division 1 campaign alongside Belgium. Ukraine and Poland were relegated to women’s Division 2 after they finished bottom of the 9/16 play-off group.
Check out all the images from finals day at the Frans Otten Stadion
Check out all the results on Tournament Software
Watch the 2026 ESF European Team Division 1 & 2 Championships on European Squash TV
