Leonardo Genoni writes open letter to Yann Sommer

But it is above all the team effort that makes such evenings possible. And as far as I can judge your performance at the European Championships, you have great team spirit. Nobody puts themselves above the team. You are on a mission together. It was precisely this solidarity that got us to the World Cup final in the Czech Republic. We also had a team with absolutely top players, but in the end all 26 squad players pulled together – we stuck together through thick and thin.

When I returned, I was surprised at the euphoria that this World Cup had sparked in Switzerland. The same thing is happening to me again at the moment. On match days, I see Swiss jerseys on the streets, and the Swiss can be seen and heard in the stands in the stadium. For me, playing for our country is sometimes the greatest motivation and joy. No trace of nervousness. I can just enjoy these moments. I’m sure it’s the same for you.

Dear Yann, we only know each other casually. Back in December 2021, we met at the Sports Awards in Zurich. You traveled all the way from Mönchengladbach to collect the award for MVP of the year. Due to Corona, there were no spectators present, but that meant that we stayed at the bar together until they threw us out of the Swiss television studio. Beautiful memories!