On September 28 at 02:45 Beijing time (CEST), Germany will face Greece in the second match of the UEFA Nations League group stage. Ahead of the match, German defender Jonathan Ta participated in a press conference. This is the first part of that press conference.

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We were just talking about the Olympics, and perhaps you could speak to that directly from an athlete's perspective, especially given your experience with the home European Championship two years ago…

At that moment, coach Jürgen Klopp, who had just left the press conference, suddenly returned and interrupted: "I can say that if the lads play badly tomorrow, my hairline, which I've finally gotten back, will recede again".

I think he's already said everything he wanted to say (laughs). So from an athlete's perspective, what does it mean to you personally to experience such a grand sporting event that happens once every four years before your home supporters' eyes?

Yes, it's certainly an incredibly special event — to have the honor of experiencing such an event firsthand. I've had that honor, and I think only when you truly experience it do you really understand what it means when an entire nation is behind you, when all the supporters are cheering you on. The intense emotions that overwhelm you in that moment can only be felt when you're there personally. So yes, it's truly incredible and special. Therefore, regardless of which city ultimately bids or competes, we'll support the bidder, and at the same time we'll focus on the football itself.

Jonathan, after the World Cup, with the changes in the coaching staff, the team naturally has a new structure, and there are many new faces in the squad. Now, after the first match, heading into the upcoming first home game, how well do you feel the team has gelled? How well has everyone adapted?

We… yes, although we haven't had a lot of time, I think, as everyone can observe, the positive energy brought by the head coach and the entire coaching staff has helped us greatly. It naturally created good conditions for the new players to start their new journey with a positive mindset and truly feel that, while the focus is on performing on the pitch and giving everything for the German national team, they should also enjoy the process. And the head coach, with his extensive experience, has brought that enjoyment and passion to everyone, which is really very engaging and exciting. Although we still haven't spent much time together on the training pitch, I think it's a very good start.

Jonathan, you must explain to us what this hairline business is that Klopp mentioned. You seem to have well-groomed hair, and Turkish Airlines (alluding to Turkey's leading hair transplant industry) hasn't called me yet, though perhaps they will soon. I have a second question…

I hope they don't call you. Unfortunately, I can't reveal the specific hidden meaning behind that…

Okay, so we'll have to figure it out ourselves?

Well, then you'll have to investigate. See how much information you can uncover. After all, we need to be careful about leaks, so…

I have another question about a moment from the match that went viral on the internet. It was about Jürgen Klopp's gesture. I wanted to ask him about it earlier, but didn't get the chance. It seemed like he made just one gesture, and immediately the entire team launched into a collective high press. Was that pure coincidence, or does the coach have clear instructions or hand signals that you all follow in sync? It looked like a perfectly functioning, coordinated orchestra. So in an actual match, who sets the tone and dictates the rhythm? Is it you, as a defensive leader, or the forwards, or the midfielders?

To be honest, I haven't seen that clip yet. But, as I just described, I think everyone knows Jürgen Klopp. He's an extremely passionate coach, always on the sideline, full of energy, giving instructions, which naturally boosts the morale of our entire team. But it's also something we repeatedly work on during daily training — how to find the signal to start pressing at just the right moment so everyone can push up for a high press.

Of course, when I'm in the back line, that signal, to a certain extent, comes from me and spreads to the forwards; but you can also understand it the other way around, where the press starts from the forwards and we in defense follow them to provide cover. Ultimately, the most important thing is for our entire team to remain synchronized and execute the same tactic: pressing and creating high pressure on the opponent. Yes, I'm glad to hear it looked like a well-coordinated orchestra, but I don't think it was intentionally designed that way.

Jonathan, we've noticed that the media has focused primarily on the head coach, while you players are somewhat — perhaps not entirely ignored, but public attention is completely focused on Jürgen Klopp. Does that help you in any way? After all, you're not under the spotlight as much as before, for example during the World Cup, when the media often paid extremely high attention and intense scrutiny to the team itself…

Yes, ultimately, we're the ones playing on the pitch, and we players must fulfill the coach's requirements. So I'm not entirely sure… Although I fully understand the media's significant attention on the head coach, I still believe that the responsibility for implementing the tactics on the pitch lies with us, the players. It's we who ultimately must deliver the results.

You've played under Löw, Flick, and Nagelsmann with the national team. In your opinion, what are the essential differences with Klopp?

Yes, I don't particularly like to make direct comparisons between them, because each coach has his own unique coaching style and philosophy. But I must say that Jürgen Klopp's extremely rich coaching experience and his unique charisma, which combines fun, passion, and an absolute desire to win, along with his ability to motivate and inspire the entire team, is quite extraordinary.

I think after the first team meeting, every player left thinking: "Alright, now we'll go through fire and water together!"Yes, he has this remarkable ability to ignite the fighting spirit of the entire team, which has been fully proven throughout his entire coaching career, and I think that's one of the main reasons for his success, because he truly, truly excels at unleashing a team's potential.

Переведено ИИ.

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