From a Swiss town to the top of Europe! The 36-year-old door god Sommer won the gods in battle, and his story is more ignited than the movies

Episode UEFA Champions League epic night, he rewrites history with his hands

In the early morning of May 7, 2025, in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals, Inter Milan experienced a 120-minute fierce battle at the Meazza Stadium, reversed Barcelona 4-3, and advanced to the finals with a total score of 7-6! Lautaro, who had the first record of opening, Archerby, who tied in desperate situations, Flatesi, who had a fatal blow in overtime, and 36-year-old Swiss goalkeeper Jan Sommer - he saved 7 times in a single game, scored a goal in overtime, and shed tears after the game: "This is the craziest night of my career!"

At this moment, fans around the world witnessed the legend of an "atypical goalkeeper": a "little man" who is only 1.83 meters tall and has been in the Swiss, Germany and Italy's three-national leagues. How can he conquer the football with persistence and wisdom?

From "Abandoned Son in Youth Training" to the five major league record crushers

Sommer's football gene is engraved in the blood: his father is a goalkeeper in the low-level Swiss league, and his uncle has also guarded the goal. Since the age of 4, he has been a goalkeeper in his youth training camp in his hometown of Heliberg. However, height is always a shortcoming - at the age of 14, the coach bluntly said, "You may be more suitable to play as a defender." But he insisted on choosing gloves and used training volume to make up for his innate disadvantages in Basel youth training camp.

In 2007, the 19-year-old Sommer was loaned to the Swiss second-tier team Vaduz, experiencing the cruelty of the professional league for the first time. After returning to Basel, he seized the opportunity of the main goalkeeper being injured and proved himself with consecutive zero-blocks. He won four Swiss Super Championships in four seasons, becoming the core of the domestic overlord.

In the 2011-12 Champions League group stage, Sommer scored Manchester United without fail, helping Basel advance to the top 16! Despite a 0-7 defeat to Bayern in the second leg, the game ignited his desire for a top stage.

The Bundesliga gods: Borussia Mönchengladbach's "Summer Dad"

In 2014, Sommer transferred to Borussia Mönchengladbach for 6 million euros, starting the journey of the five major leagues. In the first season, he broke the team's history record with 20 clean sheets and led the team to the Champions League. Bundesliga fans created his exclusive title "Summer Dad" (Sommer means "Summer" in German) for him - not only because of his name, but also because of his hot performance like midsummer!

In August 2022, Borussia Mönchengladbach tied Bayern 1-1 away, and Sommer broke the Bundesliga record with 19 saves in a single game! Nagelsmann smiled bitterly after the game: "He ruined our plan alone."

Bayern interlude: The controversial champion puzzle

In the winter window of 2023, Bayern signed Sommer urgently because of a serious injury to Neuer. Although the outside world questioned the "temporary worker", he used key battles to block Mbappe's single shot and win Paris Saint-Germain in vain, helping Bayern win the Bundesliga championship.

Because Bayern's senior management cannot guarantee its main goalkeeper position, he transferred to Inter Milan for only 6 million euros at the end of the season - a decision now called "a bargaining for the century" by fans.

Inter Milan era: The "invisible MVP" behind the steel defense line

joined Inter Milan in the first season, Sommer won the Serie A championship with 19 clean sheets, tying the team's history record! What's even more amazing is that he had "zero save" in two consecutive games - not a decline in form, but an Inter defense line stifled his opponent's shots in the bud.

2024 Champions League group stage: tied Manchester City 0-0 away, scored 5 saves, and won the highest score in the game.

2025 Champions League semi-finals: 7 saves + overtime saves, and I personally sent Barcelona out.

National Team Career: The "last line of defense" of the Swiss Army Knife

In 2012, Sommer completed his national team debut. In the 2018 World Cup against Costa Rica, he scored an own goal due to a save mistake, but faced it calmly: "Missue makes me stronger." Four years later, he broke out completely - in the 2022 World Cup group stage, he saved 5 times and scored Cameroon, winning the best of the game in FIFA; in the 8th final, he saved Serbia's penalty and led the team to the quarterfinals.

In the quarter-finals of the 2024 European Cup, Switzerland, which played one less player, played against Spain. Sommer contributed 10 saves and dragged the game into a penalty shootout! Despite the final defeat, FIFA commented: "He redefined the limit of goalkeeper." In August 2024, the 36-year-old Sommer announced his retirement from the national team, leaving behind a team-leading goalkeeper record of 126 appearances and 35 clean sheets. The chairman of the Swiss Football Association said emotionally: "He made the whole country believe that miracles really exist." The legend has not ended, goodbye to Allianz in the final!

From the youth training camp in a small Swiss town to the Champions League final stage, Sommer wrote a "history of counterattacks from small people" with 36 years of persistence. On May 30, he will return to the Allianz Stadium, the stadium that once won the Bundesliga title, and is now waiting for him to be crowned in the name of a hero.