Successful coach Tuomas Iisalo is leaving Telekom Baskets Bonn after two years. As the club announced on Wednesday, the Finn will switch from the Champions League winner to an undisclosed Euroleague participant. “We made this decision to offer stability to our family, but also for sporting reasons,” said Iisalo in the statement from the basketball runner-up.
“The die was cast quite early, and I think Tuomas is an ambitious head coach who is reaching for the stars. In any case, we can’t offer him a Euroleague perspective economically, and it’s his dream to have his concepts in the highest European one to test the league,” said Baskets President Wolfgang Wiedlich. You also have to “keep reminding yourself that we are in professional sport, the market laws of which never take a break”.
Iisalo took over in Bonn for the 2021/2022 season and led the club to the first title in the club’s history in May in the Champions League. In the Bundesliga, too, the Rhinelanders were the best team in the main round and were only stopped in the final by surprise champion ratiopharm Ulm (1:3). Like last season, Iisalo was voted coach of the year and received the same award in the premier club.
After losing the final series against Ulm, the 40-year-old initially left his future open. “Now I want to enjoy the time with the boys and then we can still talk about the future,” said Iisalo after the decisive fourth game: “I’ll drink five beers in the hotel, then we’ll see.”
Now the separation followed. “I don’t think anyone could have even dreamed of what we have achieved together in these two years. We have made club history in several ways and won the first club title,” said Iisalo: “I know that the club is in good hands and I’m very proud to leave him in a better position than he was when we arrived.”