Jonathan Tah: 'You have to earn your luck'

In an interview with fcbayern.com, Jonathan Tah speaks about the special energy of the Audi Summer Tour and FC Bayern’s aims this season. The Germany defender also reveals how he’s dealt with disappointment, criticism and hate comments after the World Cup, and how mental work helps him in day-to-day professional life.

Interview with Jonathan Tah 

Jonathan, the Club World Cup in the USA is still regarded as one of the pillars of the double win last season. What strength can FC Bayern draw from the Audi Summer Tour in this season?
“A similar one, I think, even though the Audi Summer Tour wasn’t a tournament. What is comparable, however, is that we once again spent a specific period of time entirely together – hotels, travel, training and lots of conversation. Everyone had been away at the World Cup or on vacation beforehand, and in Asia we came together as a group again. If you were just in Munich during that time, it would look like this: training – go home – training – go home. But on the Audi Summer Tour, everything was focused on the team. That’s important for building team spirit and getting everyone aligned for the new season. And beyond that, it’s wonderful to see people on the other side of the world so happy to see us. We’re grateful for that, too.

At home, on the other hand, the fans were disappointed following the World Cup elimination. How have you processed that failure?
“At first, it was a shock; then came disappointment and sadness. I tend to let situations like that sink in before analysing them very deliberately: what happened? Why do I feel this way? Is it justified, or is a lot of it just in my head? I write down my thoughts and look them over calmly – and once I’ve done that, I eventually put the matter behind me and can refocus on the new season. Especially these days, there’s a real risk of getting too caught up in social media and the multitude of opinions out there. That’s why I wasn’t active on social media at all right after the World Cup; I didn’t read any comments. I heard from others that there were racist and hateful messages – sadly, I had already suspected as much. At the same time, there was a great deal of positive feedback from people who wrote things like, ‘Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise; we stand by you.’ Those are the voices I want to focus on. Instead of letting online hostility affect me, I stay true to myself and talk to my wife or close friends. That’s what helps me move forward.”

In what way?
“I think we can all learn from this just how important it is to support one another. When there are plenty of positive voices, the negative ones automatically quiet down. And that applies not only when I miss a penalty kick; it applies just as much when a boy is being teased at school or someone is being insulted on the street. I hope this awareness is present even in moments that don’t play out in the public eye. Everyone needs mental strength – not just players.”

Looking ahead to the new season, the team’s mentality has been seen as another major strength. Do you see it the same way?
“Absolutely. Our goal is to pick up where we left off last season in terms of atmosphere. We felt like we could beat any opponent then. We earned that energy through hard work, maintaining extremely high standards in every training session and every match. Now, we’re starting from zero again. We know each other better and we’ve celebrated successes together, but you have to rebuild that energy. And we’re fully aware of this: we can’t afford to rest on the fact that everyone says we were one of the best teams. We have to work hard again to prove it, to recreate that atmosphere and that belief in ourselves. Luck plays a part, of course, but you have to earn your luck.”

Is there a moment in the season that you’re particularly looking forward to?
“I look forward to every match, but when I think back to the match against Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena – we still talk about that atmosphere in the team today. The mood in the stadium, within the team was just something very special. We want to experience nights like that again. That’s what I look forward to the most: trying to top those moments and create new great nights with our fans.”

Vincent Kompany spoke during the Audi Summer Tour about the upcoming campaign: