After Libya engagement

Mahalbasic: “I’m glad I got out alive!”

Destroyed buildings, broken roads - in Libya, even playing basketball was too dangerous for Rasid Mahalbasic.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Mahalbasic; zVg)

Austria's former national player Rasid Mahalbasic (33) has managed to "escape" from Libya - the Carinthian basketball pro saw a lot of misery, no money and has learned something for life. . .

Rasid Mahalbasic hasn't done too much wrong in his basketball career so far. But this time - his 16th time abroad - he definitely didn't make the right decision when the former national player from Klagenfurt decided to play in crisis-hit Libya.

Contract was lucrative
A financially extremely lucrative one-month contract - in which he would have earned many times more than usual - lured the 33-year-old to the local African club Al Ahly Benghazi.

Fear for his life
Where, however, he promptly had to deal with matches being abandoned, death threats, military intervention and a lot of misery on the streets - as reported by the "Krone". And because Rasid was actually afraid for his life, he fled Libya again after just over a week.

The 99-time international Mahalbasic

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Departure was uncomplicated
"I contacted the Austrian embassy after the attacks by the fans against the coach and myself - because I had to hand in my passport when I entered the country. My departure then went very smoothly on a normal scheduled flight via Istanbul," says Mahalbasic happily.

(Bild: Mahalbasic)

Mahalbasic sent these pictures from Benghazi to the "Krone".

(Bild: Mahalbasic)

"I didn't care about the money then"
However, Rasid saw nothing of the money due to the termination of the contract. "What I don't care about - I didn't even ask the president. I'm just glad to be out of there alive!"

We should all be grateful to be able to live in Austria. We're in paradise here. After my trip to Libya, I appreciate it all the more now.

Rasid MAHALBASIC

"It looks like war"
The family man now wants to learn his lessons - and also sees something positive in the experience. "I can't even describe what life is like there. The streets and buildings are destroyed, it looks like war, you can buy weapons on the black market - I didn't see any normal stores either, just supermarkets," says Rasid.

"We should all be grateful"
And he emphasizes: "Of course everyone says I'm crazy for doing this. But I've learned something much more important: to appreciate life in Austria even more! We should all be grateful for that."