ALBA Berlin releases towering center Khalifa Koumadje amid suspension
· EurohoopsChadian center Khalifa Koumadje leaves ALBA Berlin after three and a half years
By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
ALBA Berlin has released Khalifa Koumadje from his contract upon mutual agreement, as announced on Tuesday.
“We thank Khalifa for the time we spent together in Berlin and wish him much success in the future,” said team sports director Himar Ojeda in an official statement, “We now hope to quickly find a replacement for our big positions who fits us and can help us as much as possible in our still very tense squad situation.”
On Monday, Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin of China’s CBA announced an agreement with the Chadian center pending necessary medical tests. Barring a setback, he will sign a contract for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.
Koumadje, 28, last played for the Albatrosse on October 24. On October 29, he was suspended until further notice.
“We have become aware of allegations that have been made against Khalifa. We take these allegations very seriously. Khalifa has been suspended until these allegations have been fully clarified. We will inform you about further developments at the appropriate time,” was the official reaction of General Manager Marco Baldi.
Over five appearances in the 2024-25 edition of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Koumadje put up 4.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest. Since joining the team based in the capital of Germany, he logged 89 appearances in Europe’s premier club continental competition.
His early-season efforts in the easyCredit BBL translated into 7.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. In 2021 and 2022, he was crowned BBL champion and in 2022 he added a BBL-Pokal trophy to the list of achievements with ALBA.
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