National coach Alex Mumbru is back in the second row among German basketball players. The Spaniard is not yet completely fit after his abdominal disease and withdraws from the chief position for the European Championship.
This was announced by the German Basketball Bund. Instead, assistant Alan Ibrahimagic will take responsibility again at the tournament and prepare the team in Riga for the quarter-finals against Slovenia with NBA superstar Luka Doncic this Wednesday (8:00 p.m.).
“In the past few days I have realized that I am not yet physically so far that I have the necessary energy to actively coach the team from the sidelines during the games”Mumbru was quoted. The 46 -year -old Spaniard should still sit on the bench at the games.
The team had already looked after Ibrahimagic during the preliminary round in the Finnish Tampere and led five wins in five games. Mumbru had suffered an “acute abdomen” shortly before the start of the European Championship and was taken to the hospital in Tampere. This is an emergency situation that requires immediate medical treatment. It mostly manifests itself in violent abdominal pain.
First tournament for Mumbru
At the round of 16 against Portugal, ex-professional Mumbru returned to the sidelines, but the coaching tasks were shared with Ibrahimagic. The double role on the coaching bench caused some unrest, even if the team was happy about the return of Mumbrus and dedicated his victory against Portugal.
Mumbru took over the national team last year after the Olympic Games in Paris by world champion coach Gordon Herbert. The European Championship in Finland and Latvia is its first tournament as a national coach. After the European Championships, the next competitive game in the World Cup qualification is only due in November. Then Mumbru should take over again.