Jonathan Tah is at home in central defense and spent his entire early soccer career at Alster. When he moved to Leverkusen in 2015, he began a rise that is not yet over. Now he wants to go even higher at FC Bayern!
But who is this Jonathan Tah?
Who exactly is Jonathan Tah, who is he married to, how did his career develop, how much does he earn at FC Bayern and how committed is he off the pitch?
Jonathan Tah Origin & Career: The road to Bundesliga stardom
Born in Hamburg, played soccer for Altona 93, Concordia Hamburg, and HSV? There’s no question that Jonathan Tah has deep roots in the Hanseatic city. He came up through the Rothosen youth academy, reaching the professional team in 2013/14.
However, he failed to establish himself as a regular player, so Jonathan Tah’s career took a detour to Düsseldorf in the 2014/15 season. After his loan spell, HSV decided to sell him, and he moved to Leverkusen. Tah has now been playing for the Werkself for almost exactly nine years.
In 2023/24, he rose to become one of the best center backs in the Bundesliga, and his performances across Europe silenced his former critics. As a champion and cup winner, the defensive giant traveled to EURO 2024 as a regular player for the national team.
Germany or Ivory Coast?
His father’s ancestry made it possible for him to choose freely. Tah decided early on in favor of Germany and against the Ivory Coast – he had already worn the German national team jersey in all youth teams.
It took a long time before he was able to really establish himself in the first team. Although he was part of the squad for the 2016 European Championship, he did not make an appearance. He was not allowed to participate in the 2018 World Cup and was removed from the extended squad.
In retrospect, the defender will not be sad that the 2021 and 2022 tournaments – which were rather unsuccessful for the DFB team – took place without him. But now even the national coach can no longer ignore him…
Jonathan Tah profile: Age, height, jersey number
Tah’s private life: Wife Luisa as his rock
A colorful private life, parties here, scandals there? We look for that in vain with Jonathan Tah. He is more of a professional who finds balance in a stable private life.
The new Bayern Munich defense chief makes no secret of his partner Luisa, whom he married in 2023. A dreamlike setting on Lake Como, numerous colleagues among the guests – this celebration was certainly not for the faint of heart!
However, Tah does not reveal any details about his relationship. Since Jonathan and Luisa became a couple, they have stayed out of the public eye as much as possible. They do not have any children yet, but a four-legged roommate provides plenty of excitement.
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Jonathan Tah’s salary: How much does he earn at FC Bayern?
Jonathan Tah was one of Bayer Leverkusen’s top performers, and not just since the championship season. At Bayer Leverkusen, Jonathan’s salary was around 4 million euros per year.
That changed when Tah moved to FC Bayern – for the better, of course. Tah moved on a free transfer and also received a signing bonus in the double-digit millions. However, this sum is not included in Tah’s salary.
Jonathan Tah’s salary at Bayern Munich is said to be around €12 million. That means he now earns four times (!) as much as he did at Leverkusen. Tah now earns a salary of around €1 million per month.
However, Tah’s annual salary of €12 million is far from the top of Bayern’s internal salary ranking.
The top earners in the Bayern squad are star striker Harry Kane and playmaker Jamal Musiala, who each earn around 25 million euros per year.
Tah’s salary only appears in the broad “midfield” of the Bayern salary rankings, in the same range as Michael Olise, who also earns 12 million euros per year.
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Jonathan Tah off the pitch: diversity and integration
Jonathan Tah is not only a role model for many on the pitch, he is also committed to causes off the field. The national player is an ambassador for the DFB Foundation St. Egidius Braun, which helps children and young people with cancer in Heidelberg.
The defensive specialist has been involved in this role for some time now. “The truth is, seeing the strength and ambition with which they deal with their challenges is inspiring and gives me energy.”
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Tah is also committed to diversity and speaks out against racism. As the son of a German mother and a father from the Ivory Coast, the Leverkusen native knows exactly what he is denouncing.
In a relatively new documentary, the Hamburg native gives a simple example: Some fans who don’t know Tah very well speak to him in English because they apparently assume that he doesn’t understand German.
