MUNICH: Bayern Munich have signed Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer from Bundesliga rival Borussia Mönchengladbach to make up for the injured Manuel Neuer’s absence.
The 34-year-old Sommer signed a deal through June 2025, Bayern said on Thursday. Sommer arrived in Munich on Wednesday for a medical examination and trained with his new teammates on Thursday before Bayern announced the transfer.
Bayern were left scrambling for cover after Neuer broke his leg in a skiing accident last month. The 36-year-old Germany goalkeeper is out for the rest of the season and there were reports his career could be threatened depending on the severity of the injury. Neuer said it was a lower leg fracture.
“We had to react after losing Manuel. We have big goals this season that we want to achieve, and that’s why we’ve recruited Yann Sommer, who we regard as one of the best European goalkeepers,” Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić said.
“Yann is the long-time Swiss national team goalkeeper, has Champions League experience, is a ball-playing goalkeeper, and fits into our team very well with his ambition and his character.”
Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said last week he wanted a new goalkeeper before the Bundesliga resumes on Friday.
Bayern were reportedly paying 8 million euros ($8.6 million) for Gladbach to let their No. 1 goalkeeper leave in the middle of the season. Sommer’s contract with Gladbach was due to expire at the end of the season, when the club risked losing him then without receiving a transfer fee.
Gladbach signed another Swiss goalkeeper, Jonas Omlin, as Sommer’s replacement from French club Montpellier.
Sommer played a role in helping Gladbach stay unbeaten against Bayern in their last four meetings.
Sommer is unlikely to want a backup role at Bayern when, or if, Neuer returns. Sommer played 272 Bundesliga games for Gladbach since joining from Basel in 2014, as well as 21 in the German Cup, 34 in the Champions League and 38 in the Europa League. He won the Swiss championship four times with Basel but went without any titles at Gladbach.
That should change at Bundesliga leader Bayern, which is going for a record-extending 11th consecutive title.
“He has everything required to contribute immediately to our success,” Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn said.
Sommer has played 80 times for Switzerland, most recently at the World Cup, where the team’s hopes were ended in the round of 16 after losing to Portugal 6-1.
Bayern signs Yann Sommer from Gladbach as Neuer replacement
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Bayern signs Yann Sommer from Gladbach as Neuer replacement
- The 34-year-old Sommer signed a deal through June 2025
- Bayern was left scrambling for cover after Neuer broke his leg in a skiing accident last month
Real Madrid handed shock home loss as Celta Vigo spring surprise
- Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins
MADRID: Real Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 loss and finished with nine men against Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Sunday after Williot Swedberg scored an audacious goal with his heel and a second in stoppage time to leave the hosts four points off leaders Barcelona.
Swedish substitute Swedberg cleverly diverted a cross from Bryan Zaragoza past Thibaut Courtois in the 53rd minute to put Celta ahead and had an easy finish three minutes into added time, going around the goalkeeper to wrap up the points.
Real’s cause was not helped by the 64th minute dismissal of Fran Garcia, who picked up two yellow cards in 60 seconds, but they laid siege to the visitors’ goal for the last 20 minutes as Celta went into a defensive shell to hold onto their advantage.
Real defender Alvaro Carreras was also dismissed for two cautions, his second coming in stoppage time at the end of the game as the home side’s frustrations boiled over.
It was a second clean sheet in 15 league games this season for Celta, whose keeper Ionut Radu made a first-half save from Jude Bellingham’s header and stopped a second-half free-kick whipped in by Kylian Mbappe.
Real stay on 36 points from 16 games as Celta celebrated a first win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 19 years, leaving the Galician club with 19 points.
“With the team they have and their quality, it’s difficult to match them, but we read the game well,” said Celta striker Borja Iglesias. “We had possession, we played in their half, we played a fantastic match.”
Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins.
Xabi Alonso’s stuttering Real team have now won only one of their last five league games as they await the midweek arrival of Manchester City in the Champions League.
Earlier on Sunday, Espanyol moved up to fifth as Roberto Fernandez’s first half penalty handed them a 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano as both sides finished with 10 men.
Elche’s Rafa Mir scored twice as they ran out 3-0 home winners over struggling Girona, while hosts Valencia and Sevilla remained in the bottom half of the table after a 1-1 draw.
