Marcel Reif: For a long time the voice of the Champions League
Photo: Getty Images
My eyes were still tiny from sleep, but I also knew blindly what to do: turn on the TV, switch to program six, there was Sat1 and in my opinion the best sports teletext to be found, so now the teletext button on the Select remote control and then 2, 1, 1.
When I was younger and went to elementary school, it was bedtime at 8 p.m., but the Champions League didn't start until 8:45 p.m. Whenever I saw a game, it was during the holidays. Fortunately, Ascension Day in May 2001 followed the day of the Champions League final, otherwise I would never have the legendary call "Kaaaahn, die Bayern!" From TV commentator Marcel Reif, who was the voice of the Champions League for a long time, never live heard.
Or I saw the Champions League as a little boy, when I was absolutely sure that nobody could hear me, the television would secretly be switched on.
I followed the legendary 4: 4 of HSV against Juventus in such a night-and-fog action, with headphones, volume 63, in order to hear all the drama in the Volkspark, the TV set was nothing more.
When Niko Kovač scored the 4: 3 shortly before the end, I threw my arms up so high that it pulled the headphone plug out of the television.
Now there was nothing to be secretive anymore, now the whole house was awake.
But that was the exception.
In the past, I usually only had a look at the teletext the next morning, page 211 directly after waking up, this was where the match reports were found, and this was where I also found out that HSV had conceded the 4: 4 that night after all.
Following the Champions League - it was never that easy.
But at least you knew for a long time that it was on TV and where.
When I was looking for an apartment later, when I was a student, the first glance was not directed to potential moldy corners in the bathroom, which one could have gotten over.
A corresponding TV connection was crucial so that the satellite receiver from the Champions League channel Sky also fit in the new apartment.
A cable connection would only have resulted in an exchange of the receiver and unnecessary costs.
This season, some adjustment is needed again.
Sky, the perpetual partner of the Champions League, does not have the premier class in its program for the first time since 2000.
Collect subscriptions like panini glue
Dazn and Amazon are now called the TV partners.
The paid streaming service Dazn has purchased a package with a total of 121 live games and is also allowed to show conferences.
Amazon shows the top game on Tuesday via its Prime Video offer.
At the start of the group phase, there is the game of FC Bayern Munich at FC Barcelona to see (9 p.m., live ticker DER SPIEGEL), and really
only
there.
The Champions League was always a traveling circus on German television, it changed TV stations as players did clubs, it was once on tm3, on RTL, later on Sat1 and then on ZDF for six years.
From 2018 it was only available on pay TV, now you finally needed a subscription, and the kick-off time was also changed to 9 p.m.
With this season she is leaving traditional television and switching to Internet TV, after all, so the question of whether the TV connection in the apartment fits the Sky receiver is superfluous.
But, and this is the fan speaking, it has become a bit annoying.
Today you have to collect TV subscriptions like Panini stickers once did if you really
want to see
everything
in football.
For the entire Champions League you need two subscriptions: the streaming service Dazn costs 14.99 euros per month, to watch the premier class on Amazon Prime Video, you have to pay 7.99 euros per month.
Bundesliga soccer and the "best second league of all time" continue to run on Sky, the World Cup qualification of the DFB selection is shown on RTL or can be viewed for a fee on the Internet on TVNow, women's soccer is played on Telekom's pay service (MagentaTV ), where the European Championship has already been partially broadcast.
It has become expensive and confusing, where is what is going on, what is the top game, Amazon or Dazn?
There are only a few hours left until the start of the new Champions League season and, as of now, I would watch the TV broadcast.
I don't have a Prime account on Amazon, and I've had an on-off relationship with Dazn since then, I just didn't need the program during the summer months, we're currently separated.
However, this is a positive aspect: there are no longer long-term contracts like in earlier Sky times.
If you no longer need your subscription at Dazn or Amazon, you can cancel it at the end of the month.
Those who are patient can watch the highlights of the match day on ZDF on Wednesday from 11 p.m.
The teletext is still there, by the way, on page 211 the Sat1 text continues to report on sport.
There is a bit of consistency in the Champions League coverage after all.