Jonathan Tah has already won the German championship with Bayer Leverkusen. But he’s not satisfied yet. He wants more trophies.
Tah could win three titles this season: the Europa League, where Leverkusen faces Roma in the semifinals, the German Cup, and the European Championship with Germany. He’s been a regular starter for Germany’s defense alongside Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger.
Leverkusen’s players and coach Xabi Alonso aren’t content with just winning the league title. They want more success. Tah says winning one trophy has made them even hungrier for more.
With four games left, Leverkusen could become the first German team to go undefeated in the Bundesliga. Tah and the defense have been solid, conceding only 20 goals in 30 league games, which is much less than Bayern Munich. Going undefeated would be a huge achievement for them.
“It’s a big deal for us because it’s something we’ve never achieved,” Tah commented.
“We’re competing against ourselves because we’re already champions of the Bundesliga. But now, it’s our own goal to keep that momentum going and keep winning.”
Tah has been part of Leverkusen since 2015 and is the second-longest-serving player at the club. During his time there, Tah noted that “the club’s expectations have grown,” and Alonso has instilled a winning mentality, even in training, along with a strong team spirit.
“He always wants us to win every game, no matter who we’re up against. He’s never afraid. He always wants victory, and that’s his mindset,” Tah said of Alonso.
Having a coach who has won the World Cup and Champions League brings new insights to training. Videos from Alonso’s training sessions with Leverkusen often become popular as the coach effortlessly executes precise long passes or demonstrates his skills.
“He can demonstrate what he expects from you, and sometimes it’s really impressive to see how good he still is,” Tah remarked. “I don’t want to downplay his tactical understanding and his ability to explain tactics to the team on the board because he’s good at that too, but of course, he’s Xabi Alonso.
He was a top player. He won everything. And when he explains something and demonstrates it, it’s different from a coach who hasn’t played at a high level.”
