Yann Sommer admittedly surprised by Bayern Munich sacking Toni Tapalovic

In a stroke of news that seemed to have come out of thin air, Bayern Munich announced earlier this week that they had sacked goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic with immediate effect. Since then, Tom Starke has returned to the club to assume the role vacated by Tapalovic, as he’s long been involved with different coaching capacities with the club since his playing days have ended. It’s also since come out that Julian Nagelsmann was a driving force behind getting rid of Tapalovic, as it’s been suggested that he always showed more of a preference to Manuel Neuer, and had been accused of ignoring other goalkeepers in the ranks, like Alexander Nubel.

Yann Sommer has already made his first two starts for Bayern since joining from Borussia Monchengladbach, both ending in 1-1 draws vs RB Leipzig and then FC Koln. He was always touted to be the natural replacement for Neuer while he recovers from his leg break, but the Swiss international was just as surprised as most when the news broke that Tapalovic had been sacked. After all, Sommer had only just been getting used to working with him after making the move from Gladbach.

Speaking on the Tapalovic news after the draw against Koln, Sommer admitted he was shocked and now has to make adjustments after working with him for only such a short period of time. “It was an internal club decision. He gave me a great welcome when I arrived in Munich. I only experienced four days and two training sessions with him, that was it. It was all very new for me anyway, very wild. The first days, with the first game directly. I have to settle down a bit now,” he stressed (Sport1).

Adding to his reaction to the Tapalovic sacking, Sommer also said that he’s very pleased with how well he’s been welcomed by Bayern. “I was received very well and am just starting to organize my new life and try to be a good goalkeeper for Bayern,” he said.

Photo by S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty Images