Alex Mumbru rejoins Germany ahead of Portugal clash

Sep 5, 2025 4:22 PM

Alex Mumbru has officially rejoined the German national team in Riga, marking his return just days after being discharged from a hospital in Tampere, where he had been treated for an acute infection. His comeback arrives at a pivotal moment, as Germany prepares for the knockout rounds of EuroBasket 2025.

During Mumbru’s absence, assistant coach Alan Ibrahimagic stepped in as interim head coach, guiding the team to an impressive first-place finish in Group B with a flawless 5-0 record.

Germany now faces Portugal on Saturday in a Round of 16 do-or-die matchup at Xiaomi Arena. It remains to be determined whether Mumbru will resume his full head-coaching duties immediately or if Ibrahimagic will continue to lead from the sideline for the clash.

The 46-year-old Spaniard landed in Riga on Thursday morning with the coaching staff and players, quickly resuming preparations for the elimination stage. Apart from Johannes Voigtmann – who has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament due to injury – the roster is fully available.

Mumbru was appointed last August as the head coach of the German national team, succeeding Gordon Herbert, after building his reputation in Spain’s Liga ACB.

His coaching career includes stints with RETAbet / Surne Bilbao from 2018 to 2022 and Valencia from 2022 to 2024. He began his tenure with Germany by securing qualification for EuroBasket through the earlier qualifying stage, setting the foundation for the current campaign.

As a player, Mumbru’s résumé was equally decorated. He was a central figure in Spain’s golden generation, winning gold at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, another gold at EuroBasket 2009, silver medals at EuroBasket 2007 and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and bronze at EuroBasket 2013.

At the club level, he represented Real Madrid, Joventut Badalona, and Bilbao, notably winning the ACB championship in 2007 with Madrid.

Now, his focus turns back to Germany, where the ambition is clear: build on their dominant group stage performance and push deep into the EuroBasket knockout rounds.