Claus-Arwed Lauprecht practically played all roles in basketball. Player, coach, referee, official. The 57-year-old had a very different vision of his debut as the boss of the women’s basketball league.
Offenbach – In an interview, the ex-president of the Offenbach Kickers, who lives in Frankfurt, talks about the consequences of the corona crisis, ghost games, the development of the Rhein-Main Baskets and what else connects him to the OFC.
You still know many from the Kickers era. You grew up with basketball, right?
Oh yes, I played with the minis in Lübeck and we became North German champions at the time. Okay, we only needed one game for that (laughs). When I moved to Mühlheim an der Ruhr, there was no basketball club there. Through the sports class at school, I then helped to build a club that was quickly quite successful.
The first step at the official level?
You could say that. The administrative is mine. I have also been active as a coach in the Regionalliga and Bundesliga. Success was especially great with female teams.
So was the way to the managing director of the women’s national leagues mapped out?
Somehow everything went its way. In order to get my B-Trainer license, I had to get a basic license as a referee. I then whistled about 600 games in the highest divisions, and I was also very happy to lead the women’s Bundesliga games. Since I was used very often. Alone when I think of the Rhein-Main Baskets against Wasserburg 2013 series, you rarely see anything like it.
How do you assess the development of the baskets?
The merger with Hofheim was a good solution. Together you are stronger. They do a good job and always manage to get young players up. The baskets are an example of many other teams.
Even if a return to the 1st league with the limited possibilities seems hardly conceivable in the medium term?
The 2nd division may be the right class for the concept of the club. To be successful, you don’t necessarily have to play in the 1st division.
The season had to be stopped just six weeks after your debut as DBBL boss. How do I handle this?
Of course that was a disaster. We wanted to push women’s basketball forward, also in the public eye. But then we had to stop playing. That has given me a few sleepless nights.
Were there no alternative solutions?
We thought a lot about whether we could still put it off, but quickly decided that it didn’t make sense. With ice hockey we were one of the first leagues to implement this. The decision met with broad approval from the clubs.
Was a model with ghost games not an option for women?
Under no circumstance. We cannot compare ourselves to men. The budgets and salaries are much lower, the clubs rely on volunteers and local support. So there was a little more planning security. From an economic point of view, this is the be-all and end-all. It is the right step for the league.
Planning certainty for the outcome of this season, but what about the new season?
We suffer significantly less from the lack of perspective than from the end of the season. Nobody knows if we can start again in September. Of course, this makes it difficult for the clubs because they cannot conclude contracts. But unfortunately I can’t look into the ball either. I don’t understand the government either.
In what way?
The issues should be addressed in parallel. They worry about what will happen in football in May, but not what will happen to basketball in September. So it is difficult to develop structures. But it is also clear that health always has priority.
The BBL is betting on a continuation of the season at one venue. The players are to be accommodated in a hotel. As a long-time official, what do you think of this?
I admire the BBL and would treat them if the season ended like this – also for the public image. But it is getting really hard and I see a lot of question marks.
Which especially?
The risk of infection. Sure, the players are in quarantine for 14 days beforehand, but you never know what’s coming. You just have to look at what is happening at 1. FC Köln. If a player and maybe the entire team is excluded for a while, that would have consequences. I think not only of the financial, but also of the social and mental components.
Back to women’s basketball. The Bundesliga is already looking for a managing director for July 1st. Already tired of office?
No (laughs). It was agreed that I would advise the association for a while, help improve the structures and pass on my experience. I do it with joy and passion. If someone was found by July 1st, that would be great. A female solution in particular would perhaps also fit the league well. If it takes a little longer, I can also imagine extending the job temporarily.
You have already gained experience as the boss of a club with the Offenbach Kickers. What connection do you have to kickers and football in general?
I follow the action as a classic viewer. I rarely make it to the stadium in Offenbach because it also collides with the basketball events. But I like to watch the reports on television or in the Offenbach Post. I also like to talk to one or the other from the OFC – but in the background. Barbara Klein is still one of the greatest personalities for me. I also admire President Joachim Wagner how he copes with the difficult situation. We can just shake hands.
The interview was conducted by Jörn Polzin
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