'The important games are coming now' - Bayern Munich's Jonathan Tah
Jonathan Tah has promised there is more to come from Bayern Munich as he enters the business end of his maiden campaign with the club. In a wide-ranging interview, the centre-back spoke about Germany’s chances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, team-mates Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala, and what makes Vincent Kompany such a special coach…
Bundesliga: The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place later this year. Your first international tournament was UEFA EURO 2016, your next was EURO 2024. How was the gap in between?
Jonathan Tah: “When I went to EURO 2016, it was a completely different situation compared to now and 2024. But I think it’s normal to have those moments where maybe some people doubt you, and not everything is going [the way you want it to]. I learned a lot in the gap between those two tournaments […] about myself, about the player I want to be.”
Bundesliga: You were 20 years old in 2016. Next week you’re turning 30. What would 10-year-old Jonathan have said about the prospect of going to – and playing in – a World Cup?
Tah: “It’s such an honour. You always watch the big names and players on TV, playing for your country, and you admire them. It’s such a privilege to have that moment too, to be part of something big like that. The whole world is talking about the World Cup, and the whole of Germany is talking about how Germany will do. It just feels amazing. You’re so proud.”
Bundesliga: Explain Michael Olise to me. What type of character is he?
Tah: “The character? It’s not easy to explain. He’s a special guy, yes. But on the other hand, he’s just a normal guy enjoying his life, enjoying football. He’s such a nice guy. Maybe he’s a bit shy in front of the cameras, but he’s a good guy. He has really good energy, especially on the pitch. I just love seeing him play football. I enjoy every second with him on the pitch.”
Bundesliga: It feels almost unfair on the rest of the league that you get to have Jamal Musiala back for the second half of the season. What does he bring to this Bayern team?
Tah: “Jamal is that guy – he’s there for the special moments. He does stuff that nobody else can do, that nobody else can expect on the pitch. He’s such a special player. Personality-wise, I know he’s growing and he’s getting older, but it still feels like he’s our ‘Bambi’, as we always say. I love seeing him back on the pitch, because it’s been a hard time for him.”
Bundesliga: How do you think the team has evolved since you joined during the FIFA Club World Cup [last summer]? It seems that when you’re at your best, it’s so difficult for anyone to breathe against you.
Tah: “When I moved here, I immediately felt the atmosphere, energy and intensity in the first training session. When I talked to Max Eberl and the coach, they explained to me that they don’t want anyone to breathe against us. That makes it really hard to play against us and to beat us, because our intensity is so high. It doesn’t matter who our opponents are – it’s more about what we want to do. The coach is doing an amazing job.”
Bundesliga: Has there been a point with Vincent Kompany where you were just watching him and went: ‘I understand now why he achieved what he did as a player’? What are his best attributes?
Tah: “He had a lot of things, but I think the most impressive of all was his leadership. When you watch how [former team-mates] speak about him, you can definitely understand why he’s a great coach as well. The way he handles the team, the players – he really know how to talk to the players. He just has this feeling for a dressing room, what the guys need. Then there’s the tactical side and the defensive side – I can learn a lot. He sees and adjusts so many details that you just improve.”
Bundesliga: What kind of things? Is it body position? Timing?
Tah: “Timing, body position. And not only individually, but as a back four, how we’re moving, how much distance there is between us, the distance between us and the midfielders. The way we’re communicating. There are a lot of small details that, in the end, lead to something that looks great.”
Bundesliga: Things have been going really well for the team overall this season – in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup and UEFA Champions League. Even personally, you’ve been getting a lot of credit. It feels, though, that the games you’ll be judged on are still to come…
Tah: “The important games are coming now. I’m not saying the games we’ve had were not important, but [this approach] is fundamental to being successful. This period of the season has given us this confidence to play against the top teams and beat them too. The big games are coming, and we go into those games with a lot of confidence. We know what to do.”
Watch: Tah on Bayern’s mentality
Bundesliga: One of them is against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park. What do you make of that one, just as an occasion?
Tah: “The Klassiker is always special. I like playing at home, but it’s also a nice game to play away. It’s my first away game against Dortmund as a Bayern player. You can’t say it’s like every other game, because it isn’t. The outside world is trying to make it really crazy […] but we have to stay in our lane and just prepare like we do for every game.”
Bundesliga: Does it help having good memories of a place? There was a goal you scored to make it 4-1 for Bayer Leverkusen [in an eventual 5-2 victory in 2022]. Does that play a role when you step onto the pitch?
Tah: “Yes, of course it does. For example, when I used to come to the Allianz Arena with other teams, [I knew] it was going to be tough. In Dortmund, I haven’t always always won, but I have good memories. I feel good when I go there. Especially with this team now, with Bayern, going there will be amazing. It will be a big game, but we’ll be ready for it.”
Watch: Bayern beat Dortmund 2-1 on Matchday 7
Bundesliga: I also have to remember the game you had with Xabi Alonso for Leverkusen there, with that last-minute goal from Josip Stanišić, your current teammate. What clicked for you as a player under Xabi Alonso?
Tah: “A lot of things changed with Xabi Alonso, but with the coaches before I tried to improve as well. And I improved a lot of things. The turning point when people recognised it was when Xabi came in. Xabi gave me a lot of confidence – the way we played on the ball, the leadership he expected from me, but he also helped me grow in that respect. I just loved working with him.”
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