Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer announces retirement from national team at 35

Zurich, Aug 19

After a decade as Switzerland’s No. 1 goalkeeper, Yann Sommer has announced his retirement from the national team on Monday at the age of 35 to focus on playing for his Serie A side, Inter Milan.

Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel is likely to become the first-choice keeper for the Swiss outfit after Sommer’s retirement.

Sommer has been part of three World Cups and three European Championships with Switzerland since debuting in 2012. The last of his 94 games was a penalty shootout loss to England after a 1-1 draw in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals in Germany last month.

Sommer’s finest moment for the national team was saving France’s Kylian Mbappé’s penalty to seal a shootout win against France after a 3-3 draw in the round of 16 at Euro 2020. He also helped his club, Inter Milan, win Serie A in his first season. He has also won league titles in Germany with Bayern Munich and four times in Switzerland with Basel.

Switzerland’s new No. 1, Kobel, has played for his nation five times, including games in the 2022 World Cup, including a 3-2 win over Serbia in Qatar when Sommer was sidelined by a heavy cold.

Switzerland next plays on September 5 and 8 against Denmark and Euro 2024 champion Spain in a top-tier group of the UEFA Nations League.