Sky Truck: the Actros 1848 as a backstage lounge

While others are still looking in amazement, Burk is again running at top speed: "I'll just get this done quickly." With a few quick movements he installs seating corners, puts chairs in place and sets up a printer. Then he adjusts the satellite dish to be able to receive Sky transmissions aboard the truck. All Burk's movements follow a precise sequence. "I've been doing this job for five years now – one year of which has been with this new model. With four events each weekend plus Cup matches and Champions' League, you soon get to grips with what has to be done."

Now, with equipment and furnishings in place, comes the ignition of the next working stage: From bottles of Coke to packets of peanuts, the driver conjures up drinks and snacks from all the corners, nooks and crannies of the trailer and skilfully arranges them in little bowls, racks and trays. Why he can do this so well: "I'm actually a trained restaurateur, among other things", reveals the driver from Rostock. By "among other things" he means – apart from his 20 years in the gastronomy trade as an in-house tester for Maverick and a bar owner in Munich – his training as an automotive mechanic and electronics technician. Incidentally, this is also where he acquired his HGV license and his certification as a high-voltage electrician. He needs the latter in particular for himself. With a background like this, this robust Jack-of-all-trades is not so easily caught off balance. "But on the road I can rely on my new Actros", says Burk. "It has never once let me down. Plus it has incredibly frugal diesel consumption values and impressive safety equipment, such as Proximity Control Assist and Active Brake Assist 3."

12.03 p.m.: Everything is ready for the first onslaught. "I'll just drive to the store for a spot of shopping", calls Burk and off he goes. By the time he returns to the Arena a bit later with bread rolls, fresh fruit and the ingredients for his special soup, the first presenters and experts have also started trickling in. Burk makes use of the Sky team's editorial discussion to prepare the finger food.

Meanwhile, parked in the neighbouring parking space is the outside broadcast vehicle of production company Sportcast, who capture all the official images of the Bundesliga games. This truck houses Sky's own production team. This is where the television channel's editorial team produces the top games broadcasts with previews, interviews, graphics and analyses. "From the outside broadcast vehicle the images are sent to the broadcasting centre in Ismaning", explains Thomas Kuhnert, Manager of Sports Communications. "The images from all the games are received in Ismaning before they are transmitted to the living rooms of the TV viewers." According to Kuhnert's calculations, Sky's Bundesliga match days see over 550 people at work in the stadiums and back in Ismaning – week in, week out.

Lothar Matthäus has now arrived and greets everyone before disappearing in the direction of the set. Christoph Metzelder and Didi Hamann go through a couple of sequences with presenter Sebastian Hellmann – and then things get serious.

5.16 p.m.: The experts, now in their full Sky outfit, go through the stadium tunnel to the Mercedes-Benz Arena turf. There, the "experts' desk" awaits them. Another eleven minutes until they go on air. Burk, too, casts a look around the stadium, which is slowly starting to fill up.

Suddenly presenter Hellmann jumps up: "Ingo come here, sit down for a while." He doesn't have to say that twice, Ingo quickly takes the free seat – there still has to be time for a joke, even two minutes before the game starts. Then Burk rapidly sneaks out of the picture and into his berth aboard the great GigaSpace cab. "Afterwards I will have to dismantle everything quickly, and then it's off to Cologne for me. But right now I can take a break", says Burk. For he also knows: the next game is always the hardest.

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