The German basketball federation announced that Moritz Wagner will miss the World Cup Qualifiers and EuroBasket 2022.
Wagner himself issued the following release:
“I’ll tell you how it is. It hurts. I’ve been looking forward to this tournament and this opportunity for years: to play in Germany, in Cologne and my city of Berlin, with my brother, at a European Championship, was something I had dreamed of for a long time. Unfortunately, I can’t take part in any of the upcoming international matches this summer. I know how much the national team means to German basketball and all summer I’ve been looking forward to this challenge in September and prepared to build on what I experienced last year. Spending the summer with the guys who make this experience quite unique was my highlight of the year last year and was something I looked forward to with excitement all season. The fact that my ankle isn’t healed is difficult to accept at first, but it’s part of the game. This team is special and I’m looking forward to watching the boys play and supporting them”.
German national team coach Gordon Herbert had this to say about Wagner’s injury:
“It’s a hard blow for us and especially for himself. He really wanted to play in Germany, in front of his own fans in his country. Moritz is a great basketball player and a really good guy. Health comes first and we all wish Moritz a speedy and full recovery. He still has a lot of good basketball years ahead of him.”
Moritz and younger brother Franz, who also share the court together for the Orlando Magic, were planned to be featured prominently for their nation’s squad.
