Álex Mumbrú did not take part in the Eurobasket victory celebrations with the German national team upon their return to the country. According to José Ignacio Huguet of Mundo Deportivo, the coach urgently sought a medical check-up to assess his health after suffering pancreatitis the day before the tournament began. Doctors have decided to immediately admit him to a hospital in Barcelona, where he will stay for at least two weeks before undergoing surgery to remove his gallbladder. Huguet reports that the medical team was surprised he managed to endure the final days of the competition given his condition.
“In the last few days, I realized I was not physically ready to coach the team during games. I decided to change roles within the coaching staff and give Alan the responsibility of directing the matches,” Mumbrú said, perfectly describing what he experienced at Eurobasket. The tournament ended on a high note, with Germany winning gold, cementing their status as the team of the moment after both a continental title and a world championship.
Mumbrú (46) was initially hospitalized on August 25 as a precaution after an acute infection, missing the start of the tournament. He returned to the bench for the round of 16, where Germany defeated Portugal. However, before the quarterfinals, he handed head-coaching duties to assistant Alan Ibrahimagic, who had already substituted for him in Finland. Since then, Ibrahimagic led the team on the sidelines, though Mumbrú remained present throughout, sitting as an assistant and actively contributing during timeouts and game management—especially in the quarterfinal against Slovenia, arguably Germany’s toughest challenge, where they faced a controversial refereeing performance but ultimately prevailed over Luka Dončić.
The situation ended well for Germany and for Mumbrú, who endured significant physical strain, losing seven kilograms during the tournament. He appeared gaunt and thin but was overjoyed after his team’s undeniable success. It was a relief after extremely difficult days for a coach who had an endless list of titles as a player, particularly with the Spanish national team (world champion, European champion, Olympic silver medalist), and who previously coached Bilbao and Valencia before taking over Germany, where he achieved his first major coaching triumph. Now, he must focus on his recovery.