GER - Pesic leaves national team job to coach Bayern Munich

MUNICH (EuroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Germany are to have a new coach at next summer's EuroBasket with Svetislav Pesic deciding to leave his post and accept an offer to lead Bayern Munich.

The German Basketball Federation (DBB) have released a statement signed by President Ingo Weiss and Vice-President Dr Wolfgang Hilgert that wishes Pesic good luck in his new job and confirms a new man will now lead the national side.

The DBB statement said: "We look forward to Bayern getting a top coach.

"This is positive for all of German basketball.

"The German Basketball Federation is well prepared for the new situation and will now continue to work intensively on the topic of the men's head coach in order to present the new man on the bridge soon.

"For his start at Bayern, we wish Svetislav Pesic good luck."

The Basketball Bundesliga doesn't allow a club coach to be at the helm of the national team.

Pesic’s son, former Germany national team guard Marko Pesic, is the general manager at Bayern.

Germany have lost the coach that led them to the 1993 EuroBasket title.

Pesic famously steered the former Yugoslavia to gold medals at EuroBasket 2001 and the 2002 FIBA World Championship.

He had replaced Dirk Bauermann earlier this year and steered Germany to eight wins in as many Qualification Round games.

Bauermann had begun the season as coach of Bayern but left the job because of a difference of opinion about the direction of the club.

He would appear to be a strong candidate to lead Germany again, something he last did in 2011 at the EuroBasket in Lithuania.

Germany were recently drawn in Group A of EuroBasket 2013 with Ukraine, Great Britain, France, Israel and Belgium.

The EuroBasket will serve as a qualifying tournament in Europe for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

FIBA