Yann Sommer sums up Switzerland
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
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"We have the wind in our sails," Yann Sommer told EURO2016.com, with the goalkeeper hoping to be less busy as Switzerland take on Romania following a nervy win against Albania.
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In an interview on Monday, Switzerland goalkeeping coach Patrick Foletti described Yann Sommer as "one of the top ten goalkeepers in Europe". Having watched the Nati's victory over Albania on Saturday, it is easy to see why.
With the game delicately poised at 1-0, the Borussia Mönchengladbach player's instinctive stops from Armando Sadiku and Shkëlzen Gashi saved his side from dropping two crucial points in their Group A opener.
Speaking before Monday's training session, Sommer reflected on the win at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, thanked the Swiss fans for their support and looked forward to Wednesday's Paris match with Romania.
Yann Sommer on ...
His performance against Albania
It was very important for us to get a positive result to kick off the tournament. I'm happy my performance helped us do that, but what counts is the team performance. There was so much pressure on us before the Albania game, so much hype, and I'm happy we got the win.
The hostile atmosphere in Lens
"You could see how much the game meant to the Albania fans. The atmosphere was brilliant and made it very difficult for us. That we went into the game as favourites, coupled with the fact Albania had nothing to lose, put us in a difficult position. But we handled it very well.
Where Switzerland need to improve
We need to make sure we communicate better as a team. In my opinion we were also a bit too hurried in possession. We were playing against ten men for the majority of the game and didn't always make the most of our numerical advantage. We gave the ball away sloppily at times.
On Wednesday's opponents Romania
"They lost their first game so they are under pressure to get a good result. They are a team that prefer to sit back, so I'm interested to see how they will approach Wednesday. Whatever they do, we must keep our cool. We have the wind in our sails and the only thing that counts is the result.
On being Switzerland's No1
It feels very good. I was really excited about this playing in this tournament. Representing Switzerland in such a big competition and measuring ourselves against some of the best teams in Europe is a special experience. I'm just trying to make the most of it.
On the Swiss supporters
There were obviously lots of Albania fans in the stadium, but I heard the Swiss fans loud and clear. They are incredibly important for us – our 12th man. Without their support we wouldn't be able to play our best football. We're very grateful to all the supporters who have travelled to France to support us.