Servus and Grüezi, Yann Sommer! The 34-year-old goalkeeper joins FC Bayern from Borussia Mönchengladbach. In addition to a wealth of experience, the likeable Swiss shot-stopper brings numerous other qualities on and off the pitch to the Bavarian state capital. fcbayern.com gives you a closer insight into what they are.
The man for the unstoppable shots
Yann Sommer, one of the best Bundesliga keepers of recent decades, is moving from the Lower Rhine to the Isar in Munich. In addition to his bold positional play, reaction speed, jumping ability and agility, the Switzerland number one also stands out due to his ability on the ball. “I’m really involved in the game, I want to make myself available and I love taking an active role, getting out and contributing,” described Sommer.
Bayern have had to experience those qualities themselves many times, most recently at the start of this season when the Foals came to the Allianz Arena. Sommer was once again Borussia's star man in the 1-1 draw as he earned a point for his team with an incredible 19 shots saved - a record in the Bundesliga. The six-foot Swiss keeper is now set to change from being a bogeyman for Bayern fans to keeping clean sheets at the Allianz Arena.
From Switzerland to Germany’s top flight
His career began at FC Herrliberg and Concordia Basel in Switzerland. The talented shot-stopper then moved on to the big club of FC Basel, where Sommer progressed through all the youth teams. After loan spells with FC Vaduz in Liechtenstein and Grasshopper Club Zürich, the keeper rejoined the Red and Blues in 2010 to play in goal for the club of his youth. Sommer moved on to the Bundesliga in Germany in 2014 after 11 very successful years at Basel. With the departure of Marc-André ter Stegen to Barcelona, the 25-year-old was signed by Borussia Mönchengladbach and he impressed from the start.
Still looking for titles
Four league titles on the bounce plus two Swiss Cup triumphs was Sommer's haul during his time at Basel. In the eight years at Gladbach, Sommer played in three Champions League campaigns and reached the round of 16 against Manchester City in 2020/2021. In the Bundesliga, the Swiss keeper, given the nickname of “Verano” due to his surname, achieved his best finish to date with third place in Germany’s top flight in 2014/2015. Sommer will now be looking to collect his first German and European silverware with Bayern.
The man with the golden gloves
The Switzerland international, with 80 caps, celebrated his greatest success with his home country at the European Championship in 2021. The then 32-year-old progressed to a quarter-final encounter with Spain, where Switzerland ended up losing to the Furia Roja on penalties. On the way to the last eight, the Swiss knocked out 2018 World Cup winners France: in a spectacular match, the Nati came back from 3-1 down to level and then progressed to the quarter-finals on penalties, with Sommer saving Kylian Mbappé's decisive spot-kick.
A keeper with many facets
Sommer was born on 17 December 1988 in Morges in Switzerland, a community of 15,000 close to Lake Geneva. Away from the pitch, the father of two has a wide range of interests - he likes to cook and is also a keen singer and guitarist. “Music extends my horizons. It takes you into another world,” explained the Swiss. Sommer loves nature and the Swiss mountains too, while the man with 272 Bundesliga appearances, whose big idols include Gianluigi Buffon and the Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer, is also skilled with his hands when it comes to crafts.
Yann Sommer will wear number 27 for Bayern. Get the shirt of our new signing HERE!
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