interview
The Ulm basketball players are causing a sensation across Germany. They are in the final of the German championship. Sports director Leibenath explains what is important now in the SWR interview.
The Ratiopharm Ulm team is considered a surprise team in this year’s playoffs of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL): The Ulm basketball players are in the final of the German championship. The first game against Baskets Bonn is on Friday (June 9th, 2023). Whoever wins three times first is champion.
When advance sales for the Ulm home game on June 14 began on Sunday evening, the Ratiopharm Arena with 6,000 seats was sold out within a minute. We spoke to Ratiopharm Ulm’s sports director, Thorsten Leibenath.
SWR news: The entire arena sold out in 60 seconds, that’s a new record. How do you perceive this basketball enthusiasm at the moment?
Thorsten Leibenath: What I actively perceive here is the enthusiasm in the hall. We had game three against Bayern Munich and it was really an incredible atmosphere. It was very similar in the two quarter-final home games against Alba Berlin. We are really carried by such a wave of euphoria. The fans support us fantastically. We were able to hold our own against two top teams in the Bundesliga. Before that nobody expected us to be able to do that and I think a big part of that was that fan support.
SWR news: Ulm was already considered an outsider in the quarter-finals against German champions Alba Berlin. After the surprising success, it was said in the semifinals against cup winners Bayern Munich: We are actually the “underdog” again. Then you defeated Bayern three times. Do you see yourself as an outsider again against Bonn in the final?
Leibenath: I think it’s fair to say that we’re the underdogs in this series as well. We played Bonn twice in the main round. We lost both games. The Bonners have marched through this season and have not lost a single home game so far. And then again, I believe that we also have a really respectable momentum at the moment, which could mean that we are not completely without a chance.
SWR aktuell: The boys have recently shown in an impressive way that they can play basketball. The people of Bonn too, however. What role does mental attitude play?
Leibenath: I think what helped us in those first two series was that on the one hand we were very focused and on the other hand we didn’t lose our ease. I think that’s very important, also in this final series. Bonn is an extremely defensive team. But if we don’t let that impress us, keep playing with concentration, even if we’re a few points behind, keep our ease and joy of playing, then you can start a run again in return. And overall I believe that the people of Bonn are under a little more pressure. We want to keep our lightness. And at the same time we hope for our chances. We won’t be without a chance in this series.
SWR current: What are you doing now until Friday? What is important in the preparation?
Leibenath: Training is relatively easy. We freed up the first two days after the semi-final success. The team didn’t train there. Although: one or the other went into the hall voluntarily and worked on his technique. At the moment (Monday afternoon, editor’s note) the team is training again and they will do so for the next three days before they start their trip to Bonn on Thursday afternoon.
