Such a jumble would be completely unthinkable in football.

Just imagine: Hansi Flick and his national team have to do without numerous players from Munich or Dortmund in qualifying for the World Cup because they will compete in the Champions League on the same evening.

Instead, the DFB fills its team with players from Freiburg, Mainz and Augsburg.

What sounds utopian and absurd in terms of sporting competition is once again a reality in basketball, which has been known for the chaos of appointments for years.

At the debut of national coach Gordon Herbert, Germany will play against Estonia on Thursday (7 p.m. at Magenta Sport) in Nuremberg - at the start of the World Cup qualification for 2023, the FC Bayern professionals, who will be there on the same evening (6 p.m. at Magenta Sport ) play at CSKA Moscow. Herbert cannot nominate either: All seven NBA players, the players from Alba Berlin and the other professionals who are active in the Euroleague for foreign clubs.

Johannes Voigtmann (CSKA Moscow / Russia), Ismet Akpinar (Fenerbahce Istanbul / Turkey) and Tibor Pleiß, who is under contract with the current European champions Anadolu Istanbul, were appointed to the provisional squad.

At least for the second game in Poland on Sunday (8 p.m. at Magenta Sport) they would have been possible.

But the privately organized European premier class did not play, the trio must not come - and Weiss, President of the German Basketball Federation (DBB) is pissed off.

Conflict between world association and EuroLeague

"That makes me puke.

Absolutely clear.

The whole problem.

I also say that quite openly.

I don't mince my words, "said Weiss on Monday.

The conflict has been simmering for years, with EuroLeague players regularly missing from international match windows.

“Unfortunately, the EuroLeague looks like the NBA: The NBA doesn't interrupt, so we don't interrupt either,” said Weiss.

Gordon Herbert also sees the difficulties, but has to come to terms with the situation.

“It's difficult with the national team windows during the season and the conflict between Fiba and the EuroLeague.

But as a trainer, I have the responsibility to adapt to the situation, ”said Herbert of the German Press Agency.

There isn't much left. 

However, Herbert also warns of the increasing stress on the players.

“It's really a lot for players who play in the Euroleague and then all summer.

Then you get into the stress, "said Herbert.

Constantly appearing in all competitions, on some evenings at best in two places at the same time: This is the principle of basketball that the world association Fiba and the Euroleague have been grappling with for years.

And even Andrea Trincheri, the coach of FC Bayern München Basketball, speaks out critically and shows his lack of understanding of the current situation.

“That should stop.

We have to come up with a program that is smarter, that takes everything into account. " 

Against Estonia, the German national team must now judge professionals from Bamberg, Frankfurt, Hamburg or Crailsheim.

“The positive thing is that we can test young players for Germany.

You get the chance to present yourself at a young age and to gain experience ”, said the 62-year-old Herbert, who doesn't complain about the adverse circumstances, but just works. 

Despite all the failures, the goal is clear: One of 32 World Cup tickets for 2023 in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, for which two group phases have to be survived by February 2023.

In addition to Estonia and Poland, the German team also has to prevail against Israel in qualifying.

DBB Vice President Armin Andres also sees the overall situation as problematic.

For professionals from Bayern or Alba there are 34 Bundesliga and 34 EuroLeague games, followed by the playoffs, before they soon go on to the national team.

“I think the problem is that everything is played on the back of the players.

They hardly have any air left to take the recovery phases.

That will be a problem in the future, ”said Andres.

Everyone suspects that there won't be much left of the team that will play against Estonia in the new Nuremberg Arena on Thursday at the European Championships in their own country in 2022.