Swiss national coach
Murat Yakin, coach of the Swiss national team, has sharply criticized FC Bayern for dealing with goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who has since been transferred to Inter Milan. “The time in Bayern did not leave him unscathed. He needs basic trust in order to be able to perform 100 percent. Yann was pulled through a slingshot. He didn’t deserve that. He became a victim of a mechanism that only happens at Bayern,” said the trainer in a “sports1“-Interview his incomprehension.
The 34-year-old Sommer was iced out by Munich last January for a fee of 9 million euros from Borussia Mönchengladbach, and a replacement for the injured regular keeper Manuel Neuer (37) was needed. There was already speculation at the time about a possible agreement that would allow the Swiss goalkeeper to leave the record champions again the following summer – if Neuer returned fit.
With Kane and Sommer: FC Bayern’s most expensive purchases over 30
Sommer then became part of a goalkeeper cast at Bayern: The veteran went to Inter for €6.75 million and signed until 2026, alongside him also the goalkeepers Alexander Nübel (26, loan to Stuttgart) and Johannes Schenk (20, Loan to Prussia Münster) backs FCB. The 23-year-old Daniel Peretz came from Maccabi Tel Aviv for 5 million euros. Because Neuer’s return is further delayed, his long-time deputy Sven Ulreich (35) is currently guarding the goal. Those responsible at FC Bayern had said goodbye to the original plan to get a new number one.
Sommer, who had become the most expensive over-34 goalkeeper in history, stood between the posts 25 times for Munich and kept eight clean sheets, but did not always make the safest impression. “Of course I spoke to him when he came to the national team. That wasn’t Yann as I know him. He was under extreme pressure at Bayern, which he ultimately withstood. But that also showed that he is a strong goalkeeper. And we worked that through our goalkeeping coach,” said Yakin.
Switzerland coach Yakin explains Yann Sommer’s state of mind – Rejected Saudi transfer
The coach went into detail: “The thing about Bayern didn’t just bounce off Yann. He felt the support from a sporting point of view, but then something was missing. It didn’t go unnoticed by him. All the criticism gnawed at him. I didn’t understand these. You knew Yann and knew who to get. He showed what he can do. And he never complained either. The time at Bayern wasn’t easy for Yann, he struggled with that.” Inter is now the right club for the summer. “He’s not even thinking about quitting. Yann still has a lot planned.”
Summer twice in front
The most expensive over 34 goalkeepersThis way!
Yakin, who has been responsible for his country’s national team since August 2021 and has a contract until 2024, was courted by the Saudi Arabian clubs Al-Hilal SFC and Al-Ahli SFC, according to Blick. The fact that Al-Hilal presented superstar Neymar was apparently not a convincing argument for the coach. Yakin explained his rejection: “It was just a gut feeling, it wasn’t about the money. I can imagine anything in football and of course the financial factor always plays a big role. But it didn’t feel right at the time. I’ve already had four games behind me as national coach this year and I didn’t want to leave right away. At a moment like this, I’m not interested in any other offer, no matter how lucrative it is.”
Training the 31-year-old Brazilian “would certainly have been appealing, but Neymar is not that interesting now. I have my players in the national team. I have great joy with them. Neymar is a great footballer and it’s fun to watch what he’s doing on the pitch. But I don’t necessarily have to train him.” The 48-year-old will face Switzerland in Group I of qualifying for the 2024 European Championships in Germany in Group I with Romania, Israel, Kosovo, Belarus and Andorra – after four games they are first and tenth points to book.
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