Frightened basketball player from DBBL: Germany’s main player can do without the USA for the European Championship

Basketball player freaked out by DBBL
The major player in Germany is cutting out the US in favor of EM

06/15/2023, 08:08 AM

Leonie Febic, at just 23 years old, is already Spain’s most valuable player and cup winner. At the European Basketball Championships, she played a key role in the German team. Because of this, it keeps MLS waiting while it freaks out about the Bundesliga.

You should smile at Leonie Febish a little. The 23-year-old hasn’t given as many interviews these days in the past year. But the cheerful nature, born in Landsberg am Lech, takes the unfamiliar noise around her person calmly, no, she is happy about it. After all, the reason for the increased interest in her and in German women’s basketball in general is very positive: for the first time in twelve years, Germany returned to the European Women’s Championship. From Thursday onwards, Fiebich and Co. In Slovenia ensuring that their sport, which creates a mysterious presence, stays in the spotlight a little longer.

“I’m really looking forward to this tournament and I’m in a really good mood,” said Fibic. In order to participate in the European Championships in Slovenia and Israel, she also gave up the possibility of moving to the United States. “It’s really important for me to play for the national team. I’ve been in the first team for five years and we’ve been working hard to qualify since then,” said Vibisch. “That moment in Bosnia, when we finally qualified, was such a goosebumps moment that I felt like I was playing a good tournament with the girls,” said Vibic. “That’s why I decided against America this summer and the European Championship.”

The most valuable player in the league

Fiebich is currently under contract in Spain at Zaragoza. There she won the Cup last season and was named the most valuable player in the league. The rights to it in the American WNBA belong to the New York Liberty. “I’m in touch with New York,” said Fiebish. “I think I’ll go there next summer.” Now the focus is on emerging markets: “We want to get through the preliminary round,” she declared.

However, the 1.92-inch winger hasn’t always been as cheery and motivated as she is these days. In 2021, she moved from Wasserburg to the French club Carollo Basket Ardenne, Fleming. A change that almost ruined her career. “It was a really bad experience with the coach, who completely robbed me of my self-confidence,” said Fiebish later. “I was completely insecure then.”

Fortunately, the opportunity to move to Australia arose spontaneously. Although not of a high class in terms of sport, Australian calm and good weather still set Fiebich’s career going again. “Australia has given me my confidence back and my creativity back,” said Febish of his time in Perth. “You spend a lot on the beach, you enjoy life a little bit and I think that was very important to me.” Newly modified and with a lot of self-confidence, Vibes moved to Spain and played the best season of her career so far in Zaragoza. Winning the trophy, player of the season award. “The season has been amazing,” said Vibich.

Anger at the Bundesliga

There are reasons why she has turned her back on her homeland. “The quality of DBBL drops dramatically, and the level is much lower than anywhere else,” Fiebish told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. She teases her “how the league is upping it, it all sounds so unprofessional”. On the other hand, in Spain “ex-players are in key positions and have much more experience – while in Germany people are responsible who have no plan at all”. The fact that the 2026 World Cup will be held in Berlin is “of course cool.” But Vibisch sees nothing of this major transformation: “From the outside it looks like a recovery, but nothing has really changed in Germany.”

Fiebich wants to change that. Until the European Championship, MagentaSport shows all German games for free, it should be advertisements for women’s sport: “We hope we can attract more interest.” After all, women “do as much work as men.” Febish itself is the best example of this.

High praise from the national coach

She plays a central role in the plans of the new national coach, Lisa Thomides. “Leonie is an amazing talent. She makes a huge difference to the team if she’s on the court,” said the Canadian, who has only been in charge since this summer. “With her, we are a completely different team.”

The cooperation between the experienced Thomaidis and the inexperienced German team works, at the end of the preparation there were two victories in Israel and Italy. After a difficult start against favorites France on Thursday (8.45pm / Magentasport) against hosts Slovenia (Friday) and Great Britain (Sunday), more success must follow in order to survive the preliminary round. “So anything is possible in a tournament like this,” said Fiebish.