Champions League finalist 'fled from Tuchel' after England boss didn't want him
Yann Sommer will be in goal as Inter Milan bid to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Saturday, two years after his move to Bayern Munich turned sour
Eyebrows were raised when Yann Sommer decided to leave Bayern Munich but two years on, the Swiss goalkeeper has given himself a shot at Champions League glory with Inter Milan. Sommer, 36, has been among Europe's most consistent shot-stoppers over the last decade, whether he's been staring for Borussia Monchengladbach, Switzerland or Inter.
But his brief spell at Bayern, despite lifting the Bundesliga title, wasn't a particularly fond chapter of his storied career. Sommer had entered the final sixth months of his contract in January 2023 when the Bavarians came calling.
Bayern needed a replacement for Manuel Neuer, who'd broken his leg while on a skiing holiday during the winter break. Agreeing to pay Monchengladbach £8.3million, Sommer was signed by then-manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Within his first two months at the club, Nagelsmann got the sack and was replaced by Tuchel, fresh off his Chelsea exit. The Switzerland international helped Bayern reach the Champions League quarter-finals before losing to Manchester City, and they pipped Borussia Dortmund to win the Bundesliga on a dramatic final day.
Prior to the start of the new season, however, Sommer jetted off to Milan after Inter had sold Andre Onana to Manchester United for £47m. The 36-year-old has arguably been an upgrade on Onana, with his incredible performance in this season's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona helping Simone Inzaghi's side book their ticket to Munich, where they'll face Paris Saint-Germain.
The reason behind Sommer wanting to leave Bayern? Tuchel, according to ex-Bayern and Inter star Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. "He lived above us in Munich, and we saw each other often," Rummenigge revealed in an interview with Kicker ahead of Saturday's final.
"He somewhat fled from our coach back then - which makes it all the more remarkable how strong and consistent he is now performing at Inter Milan. That shows his quality, especially at an advanced age."
Who'll win the Champions League final - PSG or Inter Milan? Give us your score prediction in the comments section.
Within a month of Tuchel replacing Nagelsmann, it was reported by Kicker that he'd already decided on bringing back Neuer as Bayern's first-choice goalkeeper in the 2023-24 season. That opened the door for Sommer to leave and all Inter that had to do was pay a mere £5m in what could go down as one of the best bargain transfers in recent history.
Just two months after joining the Nerazzurri, Sommer publicly criticised the way he was treated by the German giants. "I learned how things work at Bayern," he explained. "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."
He went on to say: "We had an extremely wild situation at Bayern. Layoffs, changes, a lot of unrest and various topics besides sport. Of course it was unpleasant at times and it doesn't leave you unscathed. The most important thing was that I tried to perform and help the team be successful. Luckily, that worked out in the end."
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