What Happened to Germany HC Before EuroBasket 2025 Opener? Dennis Schroder & Co Suffer Major Setback

EuroBasket 2025 is all set to tip off on August 27, and all eyes will be on Germany, who will be playing against a competitive Montenegro team in Tampere, Finland. Dennis Schroder and Co. will be keen to better their third-place finish at the last edition with a gold medal in Riga. While the defending World Champions have every right to get to the next phase, they’ll have to get past a tricky Group B.

The Montenegro clash will be followed by games against Sweden, Lithuania, Great Britain, and finally the hosts, Finland. Well, if that wasn’t a handful, now the German national team will have to do so without their head coach, Alex Mumbru.

The 46-year-old had been hospitalized just one day before their tournament opener. So, will he be available to coach the team? Here’s everything we know so far.

What happened to Germany’s head coach, Alex Mumbru?

It all started when the German national team landed in Tampere, Finland, for their group stage games of the EuroBasket 2025. Soon, the team’s head coach was taken to the hospital due to a health issue, according to the federation. Well, as per the official press release, Mumbru has suffered an acute infection due to which he won’t be able to be present on the sidelines for Germany’s opener against Montenegro.

“The German men’s national team will be without national coach Álex Mumbrú for the opening match of EuroBasket (Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Germany vs. Montenegro, 3:30 p.m. CET).” The official press release read. “The head coach is suffering from an acute infection and was taken to the hospital in Tampere, Finland, yesterday for precautionary measures. He is receiving inpatient treatment there and is now feeling significantly better.”

“It is currently unclear when Mumbrú will be able to return to the team. DBB national coach Alan Ibrahimagic will continue his duties as head coach in the meantime.” This is a huge blow for Dennis Schroder and the rest of the German national team. Although there’s no doubt that Mumbru’s health takes priority in an unexpected situation like this, it leaves the team in a precarious position. More so, because there’s no fixed timeline for the head coach’s return.

Now, all the pressure will be on Alex Mumbru’s assistant coach, Alan Ibrahimagic, who’ll be the man in charge not just for the opening game, but until the head coach returns. While Ibrahimagic is quite an experienced coach– leading Germany’s youth teams to several World Cups and European Championship campaigns, he doesn’t have quite the pedigree as Mumbru. So, what can we expect from Coach Ibrahimagic and the German national team at the EuroBasket 2025?

How can Germany perform without their head coach?

There’s no doubt that the reigning world champions are entering this tournament as one of the favorites. However, that was before Alex Mumbru suffered an acute infection. So, does the 46-year-old head coach’s absence change everything for the German national team? Well, not necessarily. One of the most important factors here could be for how long Mumbru will be absent.

Right now, Alan Ibrahimagic has only been selected as the HC replacement for one game. This is a good sign for the Germany supporters, as it indicates that we might soon be able to see Alex Mumbru back on the sideline leading the team. But if he’s not able to recover throughout the tournament, then that will certainly impact the team’s performance.

That’s because so far the German national team has thrived under the Spanish head coach, boasting a 4-2 qualification record. Not to mention their stunning run during the recent preparation games. So, now to play without him courtside will certainly be a challenge for the players. More so, because even though Alan Ibrahimagic is a great replacement, he lacks experience.

While you might argue that even Mumbru isn’t a veteran coach, he does have plenty of exposure through his playing days. This is something Germany will need during the latter stages of the tournament. So, if Alex Mumbru doesn’t return to the helm soon enough, then things could get a lot difficult for Germany. Meanwhile, we wait and watch how things develop in the coming days.