Congratulations to Yann Sommer - A traditional Italian club celebrates Switzerland's progress to the quarter-finals - the fans go crazy
It's quite surprising that it's Switzerland who managed to shatter the Italians' dream of title defense before the Euro tournament even began. It would have been unlikely for many, if not impossible, that this would be the case – if at all. But the Azzurris experienced an unexpected blue miracle on the grass of Berlin Olympic Stadium on a Saturday evening. Not only did the Swiss team play effortlessly against the wall, but they also celebrated their entry into the quarterfinals in a place that made many Italians' stomachs turn – at Inter Milan. The football club congratulated the Swiss goalkeeper Sommer on social media after the game with heart emojis.
Many Inter fans were taken aback by this development. While Sommer usually stands between the posts for Inter Milan, he was instrumental in eliminating the Azzurri from the tournament on this particular evening. Some fans were outraged by the timing, while others found the post inappropriate overall. "Italy has just gone home in shame. Disgrace on you," tweeted an Inter fan. The post was unacceptable, they commented. Others took a more relaxed view. After all, it's not new for Inter to support their players at the Euros, regardless of which team they represent.
Italy's major Euro blunder
Sommer ➡️ Quarti di finale di @EURO2024 👏🇨🇭🖤💙#ForzaInter pic.twitter.com/dspBz5QtGI— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter) June 29, 2024
Switzerland's elimination of the Italians was a surprise and yet not. The Italians had played a poor Euro Championship from the start, barely making it through the group stage. Against Switzerland, there was hope that the knot in the title defender's performance would finally come undone. But instead, the team experienced a catastrophic evening. It's been 20 years since an Italian national team returned home with results as poor as this. Back then, the team hadn't even made it out of the group stage.
After the game, National Coach Spalletti had to answer a question from a Swiss press representative about whether perhaps Inter had been the Fiat Panda and Switzerland the Ferrari in this round of 16. He found this to be an "unpleasant allusion." In comparison, the Italian press had some harsh words for Spalletti's team. They wrote, among other things, about the "ugliest team" in history.
- Yann Sommer, the Swiss goalkeeper who often represents Inter Milan, played a significant role in eliminating Italy from the European Football Championship, despite the traditional Italian club congratulating him on social media after the game.
- It was during the European Championship that Switzerland managed to shock Italy, a team that had been struggling throughout the tournament and ultimately failed to defend their title, causing dismay among many Italian fans.
- Despite Italy's disappointing performance at the European Championship, the Inter Milan football club continued to support their player Yann Sommer, following in a tradition of backing their players during international competitions, regardless of the team they represent.
