football commentator
The last appearance of Béla Réthy: He got a few teary eyes
Béla Réthy on his last day of work
© Matthias Hangst / Getty Images
The semi-final between France and Morocco was his last game: Béla Réthy is stepping down as a football commentator after 40 years. With Sandro Wagner at his side, he was confident as usual, but he had to endure an uncomfortable moment.
Saying goodbye after a long career is one of those things. On the one hand, you want to get the speeches, the many nicely meant phrases and praises over with as quickly as possible. On the other hand, you want to be recognized just as appropriately. Maybe with amusing anecdotes from colleagues, a solid party and a fitting parting gift. Farewells are often an ambiguous affair.
The last appearance of commentator Béla Réthy, who worked for ZDF for 40 years as a reporter and commented on soccer games, was probably similarly ambiguous. Because ZDF insisted on honoring Réthy properly. Everything that makes a farewell was there.
It is Béla Réthy a “great, great honor”
First, however, Réthy commented on the World Cup semi-final between France and Morocco with the usual sovereignty. Ex-professional Sandro Wagner was at his side as co-commentator. That’s when we first learned that Réthy was celebrating his 66th birthday that day and that Wagner gave him gummy bears to nourish his nerves.
“Béla – it’s fun with you, it’s a real shame that you’re quitting,” Wagner said after a good 60 minutes of the game. “Thank you, role model. Thank you, legend,” he acknowledged Réthy after the final whistle. He said goodbye with “a few personal” words: “I tried to support everyone and somehow take everyone with me,” he said. “I’m happy if you liked it, and sorry to those I couldn’t reach. It’s not always easy. In any case, I have to say, dear viewers, it was a great, great honor for me. Bye and goodbye. “
It is to Réthy’s credit that in his parting words he did not forget those who rolled their eyes at the very mention of his name. It’s part of a football commentator’s job to be the target of malice and ridicule. And sometimes by the bucketful. Equally, for most people, Réthy was an institution that people enjoyed listening to for decades. Réthy was almost an integral part of fan life.
victory against Croatia
Magician Messi and his sorcerers’ apprentices – the scenes of the game
The studio audience sings and applauds
After the game, the TV round with moderator Jochen Dreyer and the experts Per Mertesacker, Christoph Kramer and national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg switched back to Réthy, who stayed in his commentary position in the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar. He parked his “feelings a little more”, as he put it. Then a three-minute tribute to colleague Nils Kaben was recorded, in which one saw a scene revue from the past 40 years.
These included the pictures from the 1980s, when Réthy wore the then-standard parting and very large glasses. Or his emotional, overturning words when Oliver Bierhoff scored the golden goal in the 1996 European Championship final and shot the Germans to the title. Or the appropriate words when the DFB-Elf scored hosts Brazil 7-1 in the 2014 World Cup semifinals.
But it came as it had to come with such a farewell. It ended up being a bit awkward, at least from a viewer’s perspective. Now it was the turn of Christoph Kramer and Per Mertesacker to give their appreciation. Moderator Breyer introduced the experts by noting that Réthy had commented on the two’s national team debuts. While Kramer admitted that he would like to have a child by Réthy if he were a woman, Mertesacker went one better: he quickly agreed “There is only one Bela Réthy”. The original is of course about Rudi Völler, the soccer singing is common knowledge. Mood gun Mertesacker stood up, clapped his hands rhythmically and the studio audience did the same. Réthy took it with the necessary composure, laughed and said hello back to the studio. He did have a few teary eyes after all.