At least statistically speaking, Sommer is the best goalkeeper in Europe this season. The Swiss has long been seen in Italy as the perfect bargain and possibly even an upgrade because it is reliable and stylish.
Yann Sommer celebrates winning the Supercup final in Saudi Arabia.
Str/Ap
Perhaps Yann Sommer has saved the highlights of his long career for the end. The goalkeeper turned 35 years old shortly before Christmas and is currently better than ever.
On Monday evening, Sommer celebrated his first title win with Inter Milan. He kept a clean sheet in the Italian Super Cup final tournament in Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals (3-0 against Lazio) and in the final (1-0 against Napoli) – and has now kept 17 clean sheets in 27 competitive games this season.
It is an outstanding record that underlines Sommer’s importance to his new employer. The Italian media has been raving about the Swiss’s performances for months, writing about “a phenomenal goalkeeper” (“Gazzetta dello Sport”) or about how Sommer is “as quick to react as a rocket” (“Corriere dello Sport”).
The verdict of his coach Simone Inzaghi was less euphoric, but also unreservedly praiseworthy, praising Sommer as a confident supporter and a leader who was valuable on and off the pitch. Inzaghi also says about the goalie: “Thanks to his footballing class, he is an important factor in our build-up game.”
For the summer, Inter only transferred around 6 million francs to Bayern Munich in two installments
At least statistically speaking, Yann Sommer is the best goalkeeper in Europe this season. He has only conceded 10 goals in twenty Serie A appearances, which is also the highest in the top five leagues. Even more impressive than records and achievements is Sommer’s calm and self-evidence. Before this season, he took over as the difficult successor to the public’s favorite André Onana and has managed to ensure that hardly anyone from the Inter fan base cries for the popular Cameroonian. Summer has long been seen as the perfect bargain and possibly even an upgrade because it is reliable and stylish.
There is a rumor circulating in England that Manchester United paid a transfer fee of over 50 million francs for Onana, significantly more than Inter would have actually demanded. For the summer, the Milan club only transferred around 6 million francs to Bayern Munich in two installments. Money well spent.
This fits with the philosophy under the smart CEO Giuseppe Marotta, who has generated a transfer surplus of well over 150 million francs in the last three seasons and has nevertheless continually strengthened the team. Last season, Inter Milan – rather surprisingly – made it to the Champions League final and unfortunately lost 1-0 to Manchester City. The opposing coach Pep Guardiola then spoke of a “wonderful Inter team” that always knew exactly what they had to do.
This is the work of coach Inzaghi, who is still underestimated in many places. The Italian is not only a specialist in cup competitions, but also a formidable tactician. Inzaghi has developed Inter step by step, 51 points from 20 league games are evidence of this. Anyone who watches the team regularly this season will see a functioning unit with clever spatial distribution and well-rehearsed processes, with enthusiasm and loyalty to the system. Midfielder Nicolò Barella recently said: “We have fun on the pitch and always find a solution.”
In the two and a half years under Inzaghi, Inter won five titles (twice the Cup, three times the Supercup). But the truth is that the club has only been champions once since 2010 and winning the Champions League (2021). In the current season, Inter is engaged in an exciting duel with rivals Juventus, and the Nerazzurri are at least one of the secret favorites in the Champions League. This is also due to the outstanding striker and captain Lautaro Martinez, who has scored 18 times in 18 games in Serie A – and scored the winning goal against Napoli in injury time on Monday evening.
The Supercup final was symbolic of many of Yann Sommer’s games. He was rarely the focal point, but remained wide awake and defused a dangerous shot from Chwitscha Kwarazchelia shortly after the break. Sommer was only the second best goalkeeper on the night, as Napoli’s Pierluigi Gollini made several great saves. But summer was the winner in the end.
Maybe Kobel is better – but summer is number one
This image is probably also appropriate when it comes to the Swiss national team. Yann Sommer is number one and he will also be at the European Championships in Germany in the summer, as national coach Murat Yakin announced a few weeks ago. Not everyone understands this because Gregor Kobel shines in Dortmund with spectacular performances and is given significantly more opportunities to excel. Sommer didn’t always perform convincingly in the struggling national team in 2023, but there is no compelling reason to banish him to the substitutes’ bench. So the ambitious Kobel has to wait.
Sommer stays out of all debates, he is not one for sensational headlines, his image is flawless. Every now and then he appears in people journalism with a private story, he is a popular advertising medium and is an ambassador for Switzerland Tourism in Italy. He and his family really like their new home, Ticino and Switzerland are close and the quality of life is high. And after Sommer was heavily criticized at Bayern Munich last spring, he is undisputed at Inter.
But luck is fragile, almost every little mistake Sommer made cost points this season. And there are complicated games coming up in Serie A. At the beginning of February, for example, we play against Juventus, followed shortly afterwards by the Champions League round of 16 first leg against Atlético Madrid.
These are evenings that can define Inter Milan’s season. But anyone who decided a European Championship round of 16 with a saved penalty against world star Kylian Mbappé, as did summer 2021, should be ready for such challenges.