Yesterday was one of the greatest days of sport we can remember. The cherry on top was Yann Sommer saving a penalty from Kylian Mbappe to send Switzerland through to the Euro 2020 quarterfinals. There was something incredible and almost inevitable about the world's greatest player missing the final penalty of an agonisingly tense shootout. It was one of the biggest results in the history of Swiss football and there was complete and utter bedlam in the stands in Bucharest after the save was confirmed.
Switzerland is a polyglot country but the German-language commentary on SRF was absolutely brilliant.
the swiss commentary has me crying hope this doesnt get taken down too quickly: https://t.co/hw1b2fa8D1
— FML FPL - Fantasy Premier League Podcast (@FMLFPL) June 28, 2021
Here's how it sounded on Swiss broadcasts in French and Italian.
Hey they do other languages in Switzerland! pic.twitter.com/yP4PiwaXUk
— Dan Dreaper (@DanDeReaper) June 29, 2021
On Twitter after the match, Mbappe released a brief statement.
“It is very difficult to turn the page. I am sorry for this penalty. I wanted to help the team but I failed. Finding sleep will be difficult, but unfortunately those are the risks of the sport that I love so much.
“I know that you, the fans, are disappointed, but I would still like to thank you for your support and always believing in us. The most important thing is to come back even stronger next time. Congratulations and good luck to the Swiss.”
The French manager Didier Deschamps backed Mbappe in a post-match press conference.
"Nobody can be annoyed with him. When you take the responsibility, it can happen. He is obviously very affected by it. Kylian takes responsibility, he feels guilty, but he shouldn’t. The squad is united, it always has been."
Deschamps is receiving huge amounts of criticism for how he set his team out in the first half. The introduction of Kingsley Coman at halftime seemed to give France the edge they needed, but Switzerland somehow battled back from 3-1 down to score twice in the final ten minutes and then converted all five penalties. It was a night that won't be forgotten for a long time.
SEE ALSO: Roy Keane Has Serious Paul Pogba Frustrations After France's Swiss Collapse
