Jonathan Tah has spoken in unusually candid terms about the dark side of professional soccer. The FC Bayern center back criticized the business practices of many player agents on the “Tim Gabel Podcast,” describing his own experiences that have given him pause for thought since the beginning of his career.
Ever since signing his first professional contract with Hamburger SV, Jonathan Tah has had first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of the soccer business. The national team player has met numerous agents over the past few years—and, by his own account, his experiences have not always been positive.
On the Tim Gabelpodcast, the Bayern defender spoke with remarkable candor about the work of many player agents. Tah made it clear that, in his view, numerous transactions take place behind the scenes of which the players themselves are often completely unaware.
“There’s so much that happens behind the players’ backs that they’re completely unaware of. You don’t ask questions, and you really don’t want anything to do with it,” explained the 30-year-old.
Tah levels serious accusations against agents
Tah is particularly critical of the conflicts of interest among some agents. In his view, not all of them act exclusively in the best interests of their clients. Instead, he says, questionable deals are sometimes struck with clubs.
“In the end, you earn less money as a player because the agent strikes a deal with the club and pockets the money himself,” the Bayern Munich pro criticized. Such practices are unacceptable to him: “I always think it’s terrible when you’re unfair to the people you work with.”
The national team player also emphasized that he deliberately wanted to address the issue publicly. Based on his experience, “alarm bells go off” when it comes to the majority of agents. At the same time, Tah made it clear that he doesn’t want his criticism to be taken as a blanket statement.
“Not everyone is a total scumbag who deliberately takes advantage of others. I’m specifically talking about those who, in my view, don’t want the player to grow and reach his full potential,” he explained.
Early experiences at HSV
Tah’s critical view of the agent business also stems from experiences he had early in his professional career.
His first contract with Hamburger SV was leaked in full to the tabloid press at the time—including his salary, clauses, and bonus provisions. By his own account, he was already earning around 50,000 euros a month at that point.
These experiences showed him early on just how sensitive—and at the same time, opaque—the business surrounding professional soccer players can be.
Today, Tah works with the agency run by star agent Pini Zahavi. The center back spoke very positively about the collaboration. He particularly appreciates the matter-of-fact and professional approach. “We’re talking business, so we’re sitting here like businesspeople and not like soccer players. Cut the crap and let’s talk like businesspeople. That’s what I like about Pini,” said Tah.
With his comments, the Bayern star offers a rare glimpse into the often-hidden workings of the transfer business. The fact that an active national team player is so openly critical of the work of numerous agents is likely to spark plenty of discussion in the industry.