Et was one of the few positive moments of an otherwise turbulent annual general meeting of FC Bayern Munich. When Paul Zipser carried the trophy for the Bayern basketball players’ cup victory into the Audi Dome at the end of November, it was a very special moment.
Read F + 30 days for free now and get access to all articles on FAZ.NET.
READ F + NOW
After all, almost five months earlier, he wasn’t even sure whether the 27-year-old would ever be able to walk again. In the middle of the semi-final series against the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, Zipser was diagnosed with a cerebral haemorrhage in June. The former NBA professional had to undergo a complicated head operation, family and club feared for the life of the national player.
But less than half a year later Zipser is feeling much better again. It almost borders on a small miracle when you see Zipser throwing on the basket before the Bayern basketball games. A comeback in the star ensemble von der Isar is currently still a long way off, but Zipser is already further on the way back than many experts thought.
“I’m just incredibly happy that he’s back with us,” said Bayern coach Andrea Trinchieri, who was also taken with him by the days around the surgery in June. “In the 25 years of my career, this is a moment I will never forget. I still remember exactly how we all felt when it happened, ”said the Italian at Magentasport.
Hoeness visit to the hospital
Trinchieri and the entire club were always at Zipser’s side. “I couldn’t have wished for better conditions,” said Zipser in the club’s “Open Court” podcast. Bayern even gave him a new three-year contract as a “safety net”, as managing director Marko Pesic said. “He should know that he has all the time in the world.”
For Pesic, the drama was “one of the most difficult moments” of his life. “We will all never forget that. But I was sure that he would make it, if only the serious operation would be successful, ”said Pesic in an interview with the“ Süddeutsche Zeitung ”. “I actually saw it as impossible to go to the first final in Berlin and play on the day of my brain surgery,” said 45-year-old Pesic looking back. “The main thing was to stand together and accompany Paul and his family with the doctors so as not to waste a minute.”
He didn’t sleep the evening before the operation. “I kept thinking about what was going through Paul’s head. I think I would have gone nuts if I had been him. “When he visited his professional in the rehab in Bad Wiessee, he was” for the first time really aware of what he was struggling with, “said Pesic. “He couldn’t walk alone anymore. To see him now in his individual training, how he fights, that makes us all happy. “
Time and, above all, patience – that is what is particularly important for Zipser at the moment. The winger had to start from scratch after the operation. “I had to try to re-teach my body everything,” reported Zipser. At first he couldn’t even straighten up in bed.
Zipser had to be told again later that Honorary President Uli Hoeneß was one of the first to visit him in the hospital. He was too weak and tired after the complicated procedure. Hoeneß made sure that he got the best medical care. “That shows the specialty of this club.”
“I’m just incredibly happy that he’s back with us”: Trainer Andrea Trinchieri with Zipser (picture from April 2021)
:
Image: dpa
But Zipser had to take the small steps backwards himself. “You know how the body normally works and then you see how it really works,” reported Zipser. “There was a big gap.” He simply fell over when he simply turned his head, said Zipser. “You ask yourself what was that?”
With great commitment and a lot of ambition, Zipser has already come a long way. If you see him throwing him on the basket in the Audi Dome, you might think that Zipser is about to make a comeback. But it will be a while before he really appears in Bayern’s dress again. “He’s on the right track,” said Pesic. “But when this path will lead him back to the professionals, no one can predict.”
After all, the rehab process is “like a rollercoaster ride,” as Zipser discovered. On some days he is miles ahead of the predictions, on others things that seem to have taken for granted again do not succeed at all. “It’s frustrating then.” But Zipser, always a quieter guy, has learned to deal with it.
And the perspectives have also changed. “Basketball is definitely smaller for me. That doesn’t mean that it is unimportant, but if it doesn’t go well, I could forget it sooner, ”said the Heidelberg native. Health is now the absolute number one. “That I have learned.”
.
