"Simply too bad": Sommer doesn't beat around the bush

After a magical evening, a dreary one followed in Munich for Inter, including goalkeeper and former Munich player Yann Sommer. IMAGO/Ulrich Wagner

Gazzetta dello Sport called it a "true nightmare." Tuttosport claimed that Inter Milan, who were swept off the pitch by Paris Saint-Germain with a historic 5-0 defeat, "saved neither their dignity nor their honor." And La Repubblica was clear: "PSG crushes the Milanese. The Nerazzurri crumble under the Parisians' blows."

In short: After football festivals like the two CL semi-final duels with FC Barcelona (3:3 and 4:3 after extra time ) in this overall good season, the Nerazzurri lay in the corner of the ring like a knocked-out boxer.

The season can be summed up as four goals conceded: The proud Lombards – entering the competition as reigning Serie A champions – first lost the Supercoppa final against city rivals AC Milan ( 2:3 after a 2:0 lead ). Milan then knocked Inter out of the Coppa semi-final ( 0:3 in the second leg ), before FC Internazionale also came up empty-handed in the thrilling title race against Scudetto holders Napoli . And now? The strong Parisian team, including brace-scorers Desiré Doué , Khvicha Kvaratskhelia , and Vitinha, missed the final blow for Inter.

"The disappointment is huge; it was a tough evening today," Yann Sommer, who reached behind him five times, admitted candidly in a ZDF interview in the catacombs of Munich's Allianz Arena. The former Bayern Munich pro and longtime Gladbach player added after returning to his old stomping ground: "We didn't play well; we were simply too weak in many aspects to win a Champions League final."

His team simply couldn't cope with PSG that evening, who had pressed hard from the start, exerted pressure, and simply played better. His teammate Denzel Dumfries could only confirm this impression: "We couldn't bring it to the pitch today, and we have to accept that like men. They deserved to win, and we just deserved to reach the final. It's a dark day for Inter."

Coach Simone Inzaghi, who, as usual, demonstrated passion on the sidelines throughout the entire match and despite the ultimately hopeless result, said: "The path to this point has been great. But this game was obviously not enough from our side. That hurts just as much as it did after the final in Istanbul ( 0-1 against Manchester City two years ago ; editor's note ). Even if it was a different (because clearer; editor's note ) game this time."

However, he said he could not blame his players, of whom he was proud, for anything: "We gave everything, we played 58 competitive matches this season. This ugly defeat naturally leaves us with a great bitterness, but it does not erase what we have already achieved together so far."

Sommer echoed the same sentiment after this grueling season without a trophy in his hands: "I'm still very proud of our team, even if, in the end, only the titles count—I'm aware of that. Nevertheless, we did a lot of things well and played many, many good games." Now, he added, it's "important to have a few days off." Then things will move on, more specifically, with the Club World Cup in the USA, which is already on the horizon. Inter is part of Group E there and begins the tournament with a match against CF Monterrey (June 18, 3 a.m.).