Jonathan Tah – from Hamburg to the top!
Jonathan Tah is at home in central defense and initially spent his entire footballing career at the Alster. When he moved to Leverkusen in 2015, he began a rise that is not yet over.
Of course, Tah is a permanent member of Germany’s 2024 European Championship squad and hopes to be able to cheer again right after winning the title.
But who is this Jonathan Tah?
Who exactly is Jonathan Tah, who is he married to, what has his career been like, what is his salary at Bayer Leverkusen and what is his commitment off the pitch?
Jonathan Tah origins & Career: It takes time to become a Bundesliga star
Born in Hamburg, played soccer for Altona 93, Concordia Hamburg and HSV? There’s no question that Jonathan Tah is firmly rooted in the Hanseatic city. He went through all the stages at the Red Shirts’ youth training center until he joined the professional team in 2013/14.
However, he did not make it as a regular player, so Jonathan Tah’s career took a detour to Düsseldorf in the 2014/15 season. After the loan spell, HSV decided to sell him and he went to Leverkusen. Tah has now been with the Werkself for almost exactly nine years.
In 2023/24, he rose to become one of the best central defenders in the Bundesliga and his performances silenced his former critics throughout Europe. As a champion and cup winner, the defender traveled to EURO 2024 as a regular for the national team
Germany or the Ivory Coast?
His father’s ancestry made it possible to choose freely. Tah decided early on in favor of Germany and against the Ivory Coast – he wore the German eagle in all of his youth teams.
It was a long time before he was able to gain a foothold in the senior squad. Although he took part in the 2016 European Championship, he didn’t get to play. He was not allowed to take part in the 2018 World Cup and was left out of the extended squad.
In hindsight, the defender will not be sad that the 2021 and 2022 tournaments, which were quite unsuccessful for the DFB team, also took place without him. But now he’s a double winner, and even the national coach can no longer ignore him!
Brief profile of Jonathan Tah: age, height, shirt number
Tah in private: wife Luisa as support
A dazzling private life, a party here, a scandal there? We look in vain for that with Jonathan Tah. He is more of a professional who finds his balance in constant private tranquillity.
The Leverkusen native 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-hearted!
But: Tah doesn’t reveal any details about his relationship. He has kept to himself how long they have been a couple, and it seems almost unusual that his wife is not active on Instagram herself.
So the Tahs do not lead the usual Instagram life in soccer circles and seem to feel more comfortable in seclusion. Neither of them have children yet, but a roommate on four paws is causing a stir.
Private insights are not granted via social networks, so it’s no wonder that the central defender is fully focused on soccer and his performances are consistently strong
Jonathan Tah salary: What does he earn at Bayer Leverkusen?
Jonathan Tah is one of the top performers at Bayer Leverkusen, and that hasn’t just been the case since the championship season. An international player who is an integral part of the first eleven costs money!
So how much is Tah’s salary, how much can he look forward to each month?
According to media reports, he earns three million euros a month in Leverkusen. Not a small amount, and yet everyone knows that there are a number of Bundesliga stars who are paid double or even triple that amount
It is also interesting to note that Leverkusen have a number of players in their squad who earn significantly more. Alejandro Grimaldo and Exequiel Palacios are said to be the highest earners.
Six and five million euros respectively are being bandied about here, and even Florian Wirtz, the absolute star of the team, has apparently not yet been able to crack this sum.
But perhaps the European Championship will also change Tah’s salary. If the defender performs and is courted accordingly, it may not be possible to send him home on “just” three million euros for much longer
Jonathan Tah off the pitch: diversity and integration
Not only on the pitch is Jonathan Tah a role model for many, he is also committed off the pitch. 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 task 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.”
Tah is also an advocate of 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 cites a simple example: some fans who don’t know Tah himself speak to him in English because they apparently assume that the German language is not understood.
Is the Jonathan Tah transfer coming? Highly coveted in Europe
Jonathan Tah has been on and off the radar of top international clubs in recent years, but the past season has of course finally earned him a place on the wish lists of many clubs.
Right at the top of the list: FC Bayern, left behind by Leverkusen in 2023/24! Rumors are swirling around Tah and the German record champions that the transfer is already a done deal, but the defender refused to make a statement before the European Championship.
Word of his performances has also spread outside the Bundesliga, of course. The Premier League? It’s always tempting! It’s like so often before a big tournament: we’ll probably only hear exact statements when we go on vacation
