Jonathan Tah: "Klopp's hand signal wasn't intentional—it just triggered our pressing as a unit"

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

The topic of the Olympics just came up—perhaps you could continue speaking from an athlete's perspective, especially considering the experience of the home European Championship two years ago…

At that moment, coach Klopp, who had just finished his press conference, suddenly returned and interjected: "I'd say if the lads don't perform well tomorrow, my hairline, which I've finally managed to grow back, will disappear again."

I think he's said everything he wanted to say (laughs). So, from an athlete's perspective, what does it mean for you to experience a major sporting event that only happens every four years right in front of your home supporters?

Yes, having the privilege to experience such an event firsthand is, of course, something extremely special. I've had that privilege, and I think you only truly understand what it means to have an entire country backing you and all the supporters cheering you on when you've actually experienced it. The intense emotions that arise at that moment can only be felt by being there. So yes, it's really a wonderful thing, incredibly special. Therefore, regardless of which city ends up bidding or competing for it, we'll support the bidding party and at the same time focus on football itself.

Jonathan, after the World Cup, with the changes in the coaching staff, the team naturally has a new structure, and many new faces have appeared in the squad. Now, after the first match and looking ahead to the next home match, how well do you feel the team has gelled? How has everyone adapted?

Well, yes, although we didn't have much time, I think, as everyone can see, the positive energy brought by the head coach and the entire coaching staff has helped us tremendously. This naturally created good conditions for the new players to begin their journey with a positive mindset and to truly feel that, while the main thing is performance on the pitch and giving everything for the German national team, it's also about enjoying the process. The head coach, with his wealth of experience, brings that joy and passion to everyone, which is really fascinating and exciting. Although we haven't spent much time together on the training pitch yet, I think it's a very good start.

Jonathan, you definitely have to explain to us what's the deal with Klopp's hairline that he just mentioned. His hair looks well-maintained. Turkish Airlines hasn't called me yet—though they might soon. I have a second question as well…

I hope they don't call you. Unfortunately, I can't reveal the specific details and secrets behind that…

Right, so we'll have to figure it out ourselves, won't we?

Then you'll have to investigate. See how much information you can dig up. After all, we need to be careful about leaks, so…

I have another question about a moment from the game that went viral online—specifically about a gesture from Jürgen Klopp. I wanted to ask him about it earlier, but didn't get the chance. It looked like he made just one gesture, and it immediately triggered pressing from the entire team in unison. Was that pure coincidence, or does the coach have clear instructions or hand signals that you all follow in sync? It looked like an orchestra operating with precision and perfect coordination. So in an actual match, who sets the tempo and conducts the rhythm? Is it you, as a defensive leader? Or the forwards? Or midfielders?

Honestly, I haven't seen the footage from that moment yet. However, as I just described, I think everyone knows Jürgen Klopp; he's an extremely passionate coach, always on the sideline, full of energy and directing, which naturally lifts the morale of our entire team tremendously. But that's also what we practice repeatedly in daily training—how to find the signal to trigger pressing at the right moment so that everyone moves forward into a high press.

Of course, when I'm in the back line, that signal comes from me in a sense and extends to the attackers; but you can also interpret it the other way around—that the pressing starts with the attackers and we in defense follow to provide cover. Ultimately, what's most crucial is that our entire team stays in sync and executes the same tactic: pressing and putting the opponent under high pressure. Yes, it's great to hear you say it looked like an orchestra working in perfect harmony, but I don't think it was arranged intentionally that way.

Jonathan, we've noticed that the media focus is largely on the head coach, and to some extent, you players are—perhaps not completely ignored by the media, but certainly the public's attention is all on Jürgen Klopp. Does that help you in any way? After all, you're not in the spotlight as much as before, like during the World Cup, when the media often gave a lot of attention and scrutiny to the team itself…

Yes, ultimately, it's still us players who take the pitch and play, and we must implement what the coach demands of us. So I'm not sure… although I completely understand why the media devotes so much attention to the head coach, I still believe that the responsibility for implementing tactics on the pitch falls to us players; it's us who ultimately have to deliver.

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

Yes, I really don't like to make direct comparisons between them, because each coach has his own style and work philosophy. But I must say that the incredibly rich experience Jürgen Klopp brings, along with his unique charisma that blends fun, passion, and an absolute desire to win, as well as the way he motivates and inspires the entire team, is quite extraordinary.

I think after the first team meeting, every player who walked out thought: "Right, now we're going through this together!"Yes, he simply has this extraordinary ability to ignite the fighting spirit of the entire team, which has been proven throughout his coaching career, and I think that's one of the main reasons for his success, because he's really, really excellent at unlocking the team's potential.

Traduzido por IA.

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