Long-time Bundesliga referee Dieter Pauly has died at the age of 81. The Mönchengladbach native became famous primarily through the “Sports Photo of the Year 1981,” which shows him nose to nose with goalkeeper Toni Schumacher. The picture was taken by photographer Dieter Wiechmann, who died last week at the age of 79.
From 1980 to 1990, Pauly led exactly 100 games in the Bundesliga, the DFB Cup final in 1986, the European Cup Winners’ Cup final in 1988 and several games at the 1988 European Championship in Germany. He was named Referee of the Year three times. In 1990, Pauly was the first DFB referee to be honored with a farewell game.