Summer about the Xhaka criticism: “It is good that the subject was discussed”

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Yann Sommer (34) has had turbulent months. After a wild six months at Bayern Munich, where he also had to endure a lot of criticism, the goalkeeper has been playing for Inter Milan since July. Sommer has been number 1 in the national team for nine years and will also be in goal against Belarus on Sunday. In a small media round on the terrace of Hotel Säntispark in Abtwil, the 84-time international talks about the turbulent past months at his clubs, but also at the national team.

«We had matches where the performances and results were not great. There are days where it works really well, others not so well, that’s normal. We have a lot of new, young players, the character of the team has changed a bit. You cannot always be 100 percent in a qualification. It is crucial that we as Switzerland qualify in such a group; We also have this expectation of ourselves. »

“It wasn’t a big story for us internally. Granit’s criticism came after the match in Kosovo, which was extremely emotional for him. In the national team it is always difficult to find the right intensity because all the players come from different situations in the clubs. It is good that the subject has been brought up. You can exchange ideas, improve things and correct details. Then you have taken a step forward.”

“We had an extremely wild situation at Bayern. Layoffs, changes, a lot of unrest and various topics besides sports. I learned how things work at Bayern. You pick one or two players and then the media shoots. And then you choose two new ones. And then it was my turn. But I didn’t feel like defending myself publicly. The most important thing was that I tried to perform and make the team successful. Fortunately, that ultimately worked out.”

“Of course it was unpleasant at times and it doesn’t leave you indifferent. But criticism is part of it and I can deal with it well. But if it’s not constructive, I can’t do much with it, because I can easily judge for myself whether me and the team played a good match or not. But I don’t hold a grudge. If someone has an opinion and publishes it, that is their right.”

“Bavaria is very professional when it comes to organization. The employees are very cordial and very down to earth. At Inter they also ensure that the new players and families feel comfortable as quickly as possible. In Italy there is a slightly different, very passionate mentality. The pressure is the same at both clubs. You always want to be successful.”

“After the admission test in the hospital, every new player meets the bosses of the curve, the Ultras. I didn’t understand much of it during the meeting, but the message is clear: they demand that you give everything for this club. If you play at San Siro, you know what that means. There is an incredibly good atmosphere. It’s extremely emotional. There is singing, celebration and it is extremely loud when things are going well.”

“The tradition, the size of the club, the stadium, the fans, the team and the opportunity to become number 1 in the coming years.”

“We interact very collegially with each other and have a nice relationship. Yet we know that everyone wants to be in goal, because everyone is a regular player at their club. That’s a good thing, because the national team brings together the best players in the country.”

“Hopefully a nice highlight awaits us with the European Championship. Then we’ll see. I’m relaxed. There comes a time when I say: that’s good, that’s great. I think I can estimate that very well.”

“If you have ever been a player yourself, you also suffer from that. I’m always in contact with Taulant Xhaka, Fabian Frei and Valentin Stocker. I spent very important years in Basel and fondly remember standing on Barfüsserplatz or celebrating a Champions League victory with fans in a bar. It was all very emotional. But maybe this reset and some time is needed to rebuild some things so that in the future it can be the FC Basel it once was.

Source : Blick