Everything would have been pretty perfect if this injury hadn't intervened. But although Robin Benzing suffered a torn meniscus in January during his fifth appearance for Atlético Peñarol Montevideo, the former captain of the German national basketball team is satisfied with his three and a half months in Uruguay so far.
In November 2022, the now 34-year-old moved to South America. For many observers of the scene, this was a surprising decision. "It was a very good offer, the best I got," says Benzing. In Europe, there had been only isolated demands, and they had been only slightly lucrative. "Not participating in the European Championship helped me. Because of this, it was falsely rumored that I was not fit."
But coach Pablo Lopez, who followed European basketball closely and always kept an eye on Benzing, wanted him. Now he is one of four foreigners at Peñarol, three of whom are allowed to play in the Uruguayan league. In the South American Champions League, however, all legionnaires are eligible to play to compete with the top teams from Argentina or Brazil.
Take throws and score points
In this competition, the team was eliminated on 11 March in the quarterfinals against the big favorite Franca. For Benzing, the two duels with the Brazilians were only games two and three after his injury, although he himself was surprised how well things went for him after the knee arthroscopy caused a break of several weeks. The winger played many minutes and slipped into the familiar role of scorer. "As a foreigner," he says, "you are expected to take throws and score."
After the elimination in international competition, the full focus is now on the play-offs – or in the case of Peñarol first of all on the so-called play-ins, which the team has to go through despite their quality, because they were already booked five defeats before the start of the season. The reason for this was the bottle thrown by a fan in the 2022 final series. In the play-in series, Benzing and his team lead 2-1 against Club Atlético Aguada. This Friday, they could qualify for the play-off quarter-finals with a win.
The style of play in Uruguay is dramatically different from European basketball. In contrast to their Brazilian neighbors, the players from Uruguay are rather small, but play with a lot of heart and commitment. The game is freer, more disorganized and correspondingly less tactical. There is a strong emphasis on speed and individual strengths. The referees often use a generous interpretation of the rules. "It's partly a wild hack here," says Benzing with a grin. He attests to his team's "lower Bundesliga level". Due to the injury and the open end of the season, it is still too early for a sporting balance.
"A nice attitude to life"
In the private sector, however, his conclusion is completely positive. Wife and daughter arrived in Montevideo just before Christmas, and all family members enjoy the experience and the South American summer. The way to the sea is five minutes. "It's just a nice attitude to life, we like it here," says Benzing. Nevertheless, it will most likely remain a short intermezzo. Originally, the 2.10-meter man had imagined playing longer in South America, where experienced foreigners are extremely in demand.
The two Americans at Atlético Peñarol are 36 and 37 years old. He has now discarded the idea of recommending himself for the even more interesting markets in Argentina and Brazil over a good season. His daughter will be required to attend school this year, but in South America, educational institutions are closed for almost three months during the summer. Thus, the lessons would take place after the basketball season, in a time that the family would like to spend at home.
Accordingly, Benzing is now striving for a different solution. He prefers to return to Europe, although he would like to enter into a long-term commitment in order to provide his family with a stable situation. Maybe you can even see him in Germany this season. The transfer period in the Bundesliga ends on March 31, and if Peñarol were to leave the championship race early, the 165-times capped international would be on the market. An option that he at least does not rule out.
The author was twice coach of the year in Germany.