Alan Green has been one of the greatest, most distinctive commentators in the history of BBC radio. Sheer excitement fills his voice as he finds the perfect words, accelerating with the move towards the defining moment, especially in Champions League finals. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s winner in 1999 was captured with a breathless “absolutely astonishing . . . Manchester United rule Europe. I don’t believe it — but it’s happened.” Didier Drogba running up to take the penalty to make Chelsea European champions in 2012: “Drogba to win it . . . Come on, Didier!”

But this week, as the Champions League continues, Green will not be behind the microphone as the BBC phases him out. “It feels really awful not to be involved,” he says.