A UEFA Champions League media session took an unexpected turn when a paging call echoed through the press room at Signal Iduna Park, drawing amusement from Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac.

The Unexpected PA Announcement at Signal Iduna Park

As Kovac (55) was addressing reporters on November 3, 2026, and praising striker Fabio Silva ahead of their fixture against Real Betis, which is scheduled for 21 Uhr on Dazn and in the BILD-Liveticker, the stadium’s internal public address system cut directly into the room, as reported by n-tv.de. The broadcast captured a distinct call for an individual named Rolf Markus to report to the workshop area at Nord 1. The audio transmission stated: Achtung, eine Durchsage: Rolf Markus, bitte zu den Werkstätten, zu Nord 1. Ich wiederhole: bitte zu den Werkstätten, zu Nord 1. Danke.

Kovac paused, looked around in visible confusion, and then broke into a grin. “Rolf, I hope you’re not in here,” the manager remarked dryly, sparking laughter among the journalists present in the press room.

Kovac Keeps the Focus on the Missing Rolf

According to Bild.de, Kovac even bypassed traditional journalistic inquiries at the very end of the conference to ask his own question: “Is Rolf here yet?” Press officer Sven Westerschulze (37) offered a lighthearted retort from the podium, suggesting that the elusive supporter might still be searching for his vehicle in the stadium parking structure with the words: Ich glaube, der sucht das Auto noch. Unbekannterweise schönen Gruß an Rolf und schönen Abend euch.

Neither the club nor stadium operations provided any further clarification regarding the identity of Rolf Markus or the nature of his required presence at the facility’s northern workshops. With preparations for the European fixture concluded under unusual circumstances, Kovac and his squad turned their full attention toward the evening’s meeting with Real Betis.