“Absolute desired player” of the FCB
© Imago
National player Jonathan Tah does not automatically see himself as the new head of defense at FC Bayern Munich. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old did not hide his ambitions on a leadership role at his official performance at the German champion in Orlando before the start of the club World Cup. “Of course I want to take responsibility,” he said. He doesn’t like the word defense chief so much. And you have to work out the role in the team, the central defender argued: “I am someone who wants to work hard. Then you will see if I can fill out this role.”
Bavaria’s sports director Max Eberl and sports director Christoph Freund clearly showed him in the joint discussions, what role he could play in the team, Tah reported. Freund referred to the newcomer -free newcomer not only as a “absolute desired player”, but as a “leading player” and “leader”.
Tah was also a central component for why Bayer Leverkusen has been so strong and successful in the past two years, said Freund. The 37-time international wants to build on it in Munich. “I came here to measure myself. And of course I know the role from Leverkusen. But as I said: I have to work hard.”
Even if he had three days off with the other Munich national players after the Nations League and only traveled to the USA on Thursday, Tah will feel ready for his Bayern debut on Sunday (6 p.m./Sat.1 and DAZN) in the first group game of the club World Cup against Auckland City. “I am ready. I want to settle in here as soon as possible,” he said.