His first year at Inter, welcoming supporters and teammates, the European Championship with Switzerland. So many subjects covered by Yann Sommer in a long interview given to Blick. The first question is more of a curiosity about the guard’s ability to answer in Italian: “No, not yet. It wouldn’t be a good interview (laughs). I prefer German, although I already understand a lot of Italian. I’m taking classes and I can already speak a little. It’s necessary because that everyone speaks Italian here but anyway, you automatically learn everything about the camp.explains Yann Sommer.
For example ?
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Out!”. Or when an opposing player surprises you during a corner kick: “Careful, man behind!”. In case of emergency, it can also be English or French.”
Do you really have to introduce yourself when you join a team? You enter the locker room and you say to Lautaro Martinez or Francesco Acerbi: “Hello, I’m Yann Sommer”?
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“Out of decency, we do it. But most people in Europe know each other. And the media talk so much in advance about a market movement that it’s not surprising when you get there.”
Was there a welcoming ritual at Inter?
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I had to stand on a chair and sing. Today, it’s almost the norm. There are also teams where you have to dance in front of other players. I think it’s almost worse (laughs). I always sing the same thing: “No Diggity”. This was well received at Mönchengladbach and Bayern. Whether it’s embarrassing or not, this hearing is a good thing. Everyone laughs and is in a good mood, we integrate very quickly into the team.”
Do you already have an Italian song in your repertoire?
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“No, not yet. Apart from our club anthem “We are Inter”.
What has surprised you the most at Inter this season?
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“The atmosphere of the stadium. I had already played at San Siro with my old club Mönchengladbach, but in front of zero spectators during the coronavirus. It was dismal. So I didn’t know exactly what to expect when we played our first home match against Monza It all started away, when we went to the stadium in the team bus. There was a crazy atmosphere, thousands of supporters lined the roads and crowded in front. the entrance. When we arrived at San Siro, we felt a great emotion, this passion, this enthusiasm of the people!
Mönchengladbach also has very passionate supporters.
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“That’s true, but the enthusiasm in Milan is a little more extreme. Here people really live for football and they show it. I have a few Italian colleagues so I knew how much the club is loved. But to experience it directly is something else again.”
Inter had a very successful season winning the Scudetto. Have your teammates talked to you about the reaction of fans and the media when things aren’t going so well? It must be intense.
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Yes, but at Bayern Munich it was no different. It’s also a club where everyone expects the team to be top, top, top. If things don’t work, problems arise quickly. The experience was formative and made me strong; it was a big challenge for me, but also for the team. Despite everything, we became champions and that’s one of the reasons why I moved to Milan with good feelings.”
How do you find the city?
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I live a little out of town with my family, but I’m always in town. The Italian affinity for fashion is clearly visible on the streets and I love it.
Is Appiano Gentile your second home?
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“I already spend a lot of time at camp. Eating breakfast and lunch here isn’t mandatory, but it’s definitely a good idea. There’s a large dining room with half a dozen cooks who we prepare excellent dishes in collaboration with a very strict nutritionist We feel his passion for cooking Here, everyone has their own room, which can be furnished according to their wishes. gives you a good impression from the moment you arrive.
Do you have any special food wishes?
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“No, I try to alternate. Of course, I like to eat pasta, preferably buckwheat pasta. I think tomato pesto is excellent. The first time I combined these two ingredients, Federico Dimarco looked at me in amazement Today he does exactly the same thing. For others it is even stranger that I eat pasta, vegetables and meat at the same time. an insult to their food culture. They eat meat without accompaniment. This is very unusual for us Swiss.
If I gave you a paper with the results of the next European Championships, what would you sign right away?
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“Oh, difficult. We had a difficult qualification in which we were very criticized, and that’s normal. That’s why my first goal is to make it through the group stage. That would be a big step for us. It remains to be seen what happens next.
What do you expect from Germany, host country and group opponent?
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“The team is in transition, but it has a lot of qualities. I trust coach Julian Nagelsmann. He will bring the team together until the European Championship so that Germany can claim the title again. I know well Julian, it was him who brought me to Bayern.
®Jean Idriss – Internazionale.fr
