[ad_1]
Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer is aware that the biggest challenge for his team on Wednesday would be to beat Real Madrid and qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.
The German team leads Group B with eight points, while Los Blancos and Shakhtar Donetsk have each added seven points in their first five European games.
In an interview for MARCA, Sommer spoke about how he managed to end the successful penalty streak of Sergio Ramos, who was his goalkeeper idol as a child and why the match at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium is a final for Monchengladbach as well. .
If there is a penalty at the last minute, what do you think Sergio Ramos is going to do? What will the psychological battle be like?
[Laughs] I do not know. Honestly, I prefer that there are no penalties. I hope we are very attentive and do not commit any. So, if there is a penalty, we’ll see what happens.In Spain you became famous for ending Sergio Ramos’ successful penalty shootout streak.
A. Had [scored] 25, right? Well, that game happened like this and it was a joyous moment, of course. But there is always a bit of luck when it comes to saving a penalty.
Have you studied Ramos a lot?
I had studied it, yes, but I study everyone. Sergio Ramos is one of the best defenders in the world and one of the best penalty shooters, as his numbers show. I always study the players I face, but I’ll tell you one thing: studying Ramos is very difficult. Sergio has a wide variety of shots. He puts them on the right, on the left, in the center, Panenka style … He has a very wide repertoire and that makes it very difficult for him.
Do you have any pre-match rituals?
No. I try to be calm, relaxed, focused … I love this game and you can see it when you see me, I always smile. I feel privileged to be able to play soccer.
On social media or in the field, you always look happy.
I transmit joy, tranquility, but we all have our moments, our problems … But yes, I am a positive person in general. Then on the field I change and I am a communicative goalkeeper. I do a lot of mental work, for a few years I have been working with a coach to improve in every way, to be more focused, to separate the footballer Yann from the father and husband Yann. This job helps me a lot.
Why did you decide to be a goalkeeper?
I really do not know [laughs]. I remember the coach asked who wanted to be the goalkeeper and I was the fastest to raise my hand. So. It came from within me. And since then I am between the clubs.
And who was your idol?
[Gianluigi] Buffon. I always liked him for his personality and his goalkeeping style. And then I always loved [Iker] Casillas, is another of my idols. He wasn’t the tallest goalkeeper, like me, and that’s why I paid a lot of attention to him. Iker was spectacular, he jumped like a cat. Casillas was a great goalkeeper.Now you have a final against Real Madrid. How do you imagine it?
It will be a difficult match. It is also a final for us, we want to go to the next round. We need to play a great game, of course.
Real Madrid never lose finals. Are they the worst possible rivals for you?
We know that Real Madrid is a great team, with a lot of quality and a lot of experience. It is a challenge for us, we will see what happens.
The reality is that Monchengladbach will start the game as the group leader. Do you think Real Madrid and Inter underestimated you in the first games?
Really I do not think so. We are talking about Real Madrid, one of the best teams in the world and they surely knew us. We were the team with the least experience in the Champions League, but with courage, quality and a lot of motivation we equaled the rest of the group.
The match will be at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. Did you prefer to play at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium?
I’ve never played at the Bernabéu, it’s a shame. It is one of the best stadiums in the world, one of the temples of football. I already know the [Estadio Alfredo] Di Stefano, I played there with the national team in September. It is a nice lot, very small, but it is good. It is not the Bernabéu, of course.
Did you follow Madrid when you were a child?
As a child you have many teams. In Spain, in England, in Italy … You like football and you have many teams, I think it happens to almost all children.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
[ad_2]
