What an adventure!
RBL stadium announcer, Tim Thoelke, was also the voice of the Red Bull Arena during the EURO 2024. Tim was in charge of the stadium announcements for all three group stage matches, as well as the Round of 16 game between Austria and Turkey, as he would in any of our home matches.
“We can be very proud with how well Leipzig did during the tournament”, said the 52 year-old. “Of course, the draw played in our favor: We had absolute superstars like Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Luka Modric in our stadium. We welcomed amazing groups of fans into our city. What we got to experience with the Dutch fans is something that we will remember dearly.”
Tim was also impressed by the reach of the Euros in many ways. “When you realize how many people working in media cover the same matches, it’s clear that there is an increase compared to the Champions League or the Bundesliga.”
The importance of the matches was something that was also noticeable in the stands:
- “The sheer shock in the fan blocks after Croatia’s last-minute exit, was something I had never experienced before. Everyone was quiet for several minutes, there was total silence. You could hear a pin drop. There were empty faces wherever you looked.”
The 1-1 between Italy and Croatia, which came on the 98th minute and meant the Squadra Azzurra qualified to the Round of 16, as well as Croatia’s sending home in the final seconds, is one of the most spectacular goals Tim has ever witnessed.
- “Mattia Zaccagni‘s goal was a brutal example of drama. For the Italian fans, it was the greatest of gifts. For the Croatian spectators I couldn’t help but feel bad.”
The voice sounded somewhat familiar. It gave me goosebumps.
‘Crischdianou’ and his squad
Tim didn’t have much trouble preparing to pronounce the different players’ names. But having to do so for eight national teams comprised of 26 players plus coaches each, was quite a challenge. Getting the pronouncement just right wasn’t that simple either.
- “The hardest game for me in this regard was the Portugal – Czechia one. Whoever thinks Portuguese is similar to Spanish… total nonsense! UEFA had wished for the goal scorers and lineups to be pronounced as they would in their home countries, so that international fans could connect as much as possible.
That wasn’t that straightforward for “Crischdianou” Ronaldo and his fellow teammates. It was important to me to find a compromise between our pronunciation and theirs. Hopefully, it was well accomplished.”
Bliss in Rome
The matchday itself was special for Time. The first check-ups took place seven hours before kick-off. “There’s really nothing left to chance by UEFA. Everything is precisely calculated to the second and it has to work. And it always worked in the end.”
His most emotional moment came from the already mentioned match between Croatia and Italy.
- “I was moved by the scenes at the public viewing in Rome. Tens of thousands of people in utter bliss and non-stop joy because of the goal… And in the background you could hear the stadium announcer’s voice, who had just announced the goal. The voice was somewhat familiar to me. It gave me goosebumps.”
What happened in Leipzig is something we will all remember dearly.