Ernst Huberty, the man who provided the commentary for the 1966 European Cup Winners’ Cup final and who therefore brought Borussia Dortmund’s greatest success until that point into the living rooms of all BVB fans, has passed away. German football mourns one of the country’s most revered sports journalists.

The “inventor” of the tv programme ARD-Sportschau was 96 years old. “Goal of the Month” was one of his many ideas. Huberty took a creative approach in his endeavours to use the cutting-edge medium of television to show football at the beginning of the 1960s,  but he never sought the limelight for himself. “He always commented in a composed manner. He was simply good,” said the chairman of the Borussia Dortmund council of elders, Fritz Lünschermann.

WDR Director-General Tom Buhrow emphasised: “We sadly bid farewell to Ernst Huberty. As Mr Sportschau, as the audience affectionately called him, he was the first presenter to leave a lasting mark on the programme: he was a soothing and calm presence with a great sense of authority. We will all remember Ernst Huberty not only as the presenter of the Sportschau, but also as a legend of sports reporting.”