“He’s the new leader” – Rüdiger highlights Tah’s importance for Germany

Antonio Rüdiger has made it clear how important he believes Jonathan Tah has become for Germany.

Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Antonio Rüdiger spoke highly of Germany teammate and fellow centre-back Jonathan Tah at a press conference on Wednesday.

Since Julian Nagelsmann took over as Germany coach in September 2023, Tah has become a regular starter at the heart of the national team defence, and Rüdiger is impressed by the development the Bayern Munich centre-back has made in recent years.

“The progress Jona has made over the last two or three years commands a huge amount of respect. His season with Bayern was outstanding as well. He’s the new leader,” Rüdiger said at the press conference.

“We’ve always had a good relationship; we’ve been playing together since 2016. It’s always been very harmonious and respectful. If I were a striker and had to play against Jona, it would be really tough, especially because of his physicality. He’s also extremely clean in the tackle.”

With Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck being Nagelsmann’s preferred centre-back pairing at the World Cup, Rüdiger has had to settle for a role as a substitute – a role he accepts.

“No one likes sitting on the bench, but with the national team it’s different than at club level. We all have one goal, and if you can contribute from the outside, that’s just as important,” he said.