Interview with Jonathan Tah: 'We shouldn't shy away'

To him, a good book is like a journey, and every day he writes down what moves him: Jonathan Tah wants to take on responsibility at FCB. In the FC Bayern members' magazine ‘51’, he talks about Ronaldinho, Nelson Mandela - and how he found his role.

Jonathan Tah – The interview

Jona, you said ahead of your move to Munich that you wanted to step out of your comfort zone - a tongue-in-cheek question to start with: how uncomfortable is it at FC Bayern?
(laughs) "It doesn't feel uncomfortable. But it was a leap out of my comfort zone, and that was very much a conscious decision. I had a fantastic time at Leverkusen for ten years; the club and I myself have developed further, and I felt it was time for me to get to know a completely new environment again."

Do you have to seek out the uncomfortable in order to make progress?
“I'm grateful to Leverkusen for the time we spent together, but I think it's also important to scrutinise and reflect on yourself from time to time: what can I do to take another step, to grow, as a person but also as a footballer? That's why I made this decision."

Now everyone expects you to instantly become one of the leaders in the team. How do you deal with this pressure?
“First of all, it's an honour for me to be seen from the outside as being able to take on a role like that at FC Bayern. I want to take on responsibility here. That's the expectation the club has of me, that the team probably also has of me, but above all it's the expectation that I have of myself. Nevertheless, you always first have to earn a role like that. You don't just turn up here and say: 'Here I am, I'll take on responsibility now.’ You have to perform, then it comes with time, with the games, with lots of training sessions – on and off the pitch."

You really were a leader at Leverkusen. Is it different at Bayern, surrounded almost exclusively by internationals?
“There are so many players here who have already won and experienced a lot in their careers – it's definitely something else. But I know what I bring to the table here and how I can contribute. I approach Bayern with respect – and with everything that characterises me."

What does leadership on the pitch look like to you?
“You can only be a leader if you can lead yourself. My philosophy is ‘leading by example’: you can't demand something from others that you don't live yourself. I want to perform professionally and at the highest level, have the greatest focus and concentration in every game – only then can I start to expect that from others and then push them too. I'm naturally someone who wants to motivate and inspire others. I do a lot of that through communication, but you don't have to be the loudest. It's more important to be clear in certain situations and stay on top of things.”

Did you have any role models – perhaps even outside of sport?
“For me, Nelson Mandela is still one of the real greats who made a huge impact and from whom I've taken a lot of inspiration. When I look at sport, I think of the basketball player LeBron James, for example. Or Ronaldinho - he was one of my idols when I was a kid playing football on the street. And even though he didn't play in my position, he embodied this absolute love of football for me. He just enjoyed the game. Maybe he didn't do some things in terms of his career the way I would do them. But this special passion – that's what he represented for me. And I took that away from him."

You also speak openly about racism.
“Because I don't think we should shy away from supposedly taboo isues. We need to talk about it openly, including being open about our feelings. I'm someone who always tries to show and explain my feelings because it's important that others understand how I feel about them. When I met my wife, who is German-Italian, she wasn't aware of a lot of things, such as everyday racism. She couldn't really understand certain things. And it was extremely important that I explained to her how I feel in certain situations and why some things hurt me. She wouldn't have known otherwise. That's why I think it's so important to talk about it openly."

When you look back on yourself from five or ten years ago, what do you bring to Munich that wasn't there then?
“I was nowhere near where I am today. In my personality, in my willingness to come out of my shell and take on responsibility. Of course, I also worked on my game constantly, but the most important thing is: I've learnt what I can give to a team, how I can help them. That also applies to how I deal with the lads on the pitch, how I communicate, how I take responsibility. I've found my role – I didn't have that five years ago."

What do you mean by "I've found my role"?
"As in every position, there are different types of centre-backs: warriors, for example, fighters who use their passion. Or the build-up types, who act almost like a defensive midfielder, to name just two. Of course, there's a lot in between and not every player can be clearly categorised into one type. The important thing is to find your own style and role over time. At FC Bayern, you have to be at a certain level in every area. I see myself most strongly in the role of organiser within the back line, but also in front of it. I want to make sure we cover for our midfield and attack in the best possible way defensively, but also support them in attack at all times. If we have an important influence on the attacking efforts from the back and initiate attacks, we can be all the more dominant and increase our chances of victory."

Reading inspires you – what do you get from a good book?
"For example, I also read every day during the Club World Cup – I consciously use the time between training and activities because it's good for me. A good book is like a little journey for me. I always choose something that gives me something personally. I sometimes write things down. I try to apply what I've read to my life as often as I can."

You have a daily ritual: in the morning you write down your goals and what you expect from the day; in the evening, what you've achieved.
“It's not so much about what I've achieved, but much more about experiences I'm grateful for. Some time ago, I realised for myself: the more consciously I live, the greater my clarity – and the happier I am. When I consciously approach life, I understand more: how am I feeling right now? What's on my mind – and why? This daily journal is daily feedback to myself. Because everything is so fast these days: the internet, social media, distractions of all kinds. We're often far too little in touch with ourselves and our values. This daily ritual brings me back to myself, at least for a moment."

What do you want people to say about you at the end of your career at FC Bayern?
"That I was an authentic person. Someone who was courageous. Who always tried to take on responsibility. And who always gave his best for FC Bayern."

Taken from the August issue of the FC Bayern members' magazine '51'.
FC Bayern held their first open training session of pre-season on Monday: