Marcel Proust never filled out this questionnaire. Because it is a football-focused version of a board game that was popular in the French writer’s time. We continue to play it with people from football who are ready to take on the challenge of spirit and charm: this time with the Munich national player Tom Bischof.
What is your greatest joy as a footballer?
That’s probably the answer from 99 percent of those you send this questionnaire to, but it’s just like this: I was able to turn my hobby into a career! If you can turn your hobby into a career, that’s a dream, a great blessing. Furthermore, I am very grateful for what I am able to experience through this job, for example what I am able to see of the world. I’m not someone who looks out the window the whole time when landing, but I always try to take in a little bit of the city. Before our Champions League game against PSG, I went for a walk in Paris to soak up some of the atmosphere. I wasn’t really interested in going to the Eiffel Tower, it was too far away and I wasn’t there as a tourist. But the cafés and small shops, somewhat hidden in the alleys, had a special flair.
And what is your biggest misfortune as a footballer?
Misfortune is certainly the wrong word – you have to be aware that you are always under observation in public. The fact is that theoretically you could be photographed at any time and that something can be interpreted into every picture. Otherwise – but this isn’t a misfortune, just a shame – I miss going skiing. I’ve always enjoyed doing that, and it’s pretty good too. But I don’t want to risk anything anymore, so I’m not doing it.
How do you recognize a good player?
I like players who know what’s going to happen beforehand. Who can really read a game with all the variables, like Toni Kroos did. I celebrated how he directed Vinicius Junior with a hand signal – so that everyone could see it – and yet his deep pass went through (in the Champions League game against Bayern 2024/ed.). That was outstanding.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Until a few months ago I would have answered Granit Xhaka. Since our game against Paris St. Germain I have to say: Vitinha! He directs the entire game in Paris. He is always on the move, he never rests, he is always playable. It’s really uncomfortable to play with.
Which player is better than the general public believes?
Who is the most important coach in your career?
There is one in the early stages of my journey: Danny Galm! He always knew what was important: sometimes a kick in the ass, sometimes a hug. Without him I most likely wouldn’t be able to name the second name: Vincent Kompany! I have never learned as much under a coach as I did under him. I had a conversation with him at the Club World Cup, after the game against Benfica Lisbon. He said he wanted to see me be more explosive in the first few meters and move more dynamically away from the opponent. That was important. For example, I always have this message in my head.
Martina Nusser and Gundula Schmid from Glücksmomente eV. The two of them are committed to helping seriously ill children with a lot of love and passion. I was able to get to know her and have recently started supporting the project. We will intensify this work. There should be many more people like Martina and Gundula who think about everyone else before they think about themselves. The two impressed me because they really do good things where help is needed.
Exactly this dedication to people who need help.
What do you fear in a game?
Which football rules would you change?
I’m not a fan of VAR!
Who conducts your salary negotiations?
My mother once gave me the book “The Only Book You Should Read About Finance: The Relaxed Path to Wealth” by Thomas Kehl. I read that twice. Nevertheless, with Sports360 I have an agency that supports me extensively. There are experts there for marketing and media work. And I have a small, really good team around me. Accordingly, my move from Hoffenheim to Munich was accompanied by Volker Struth, Martin Vontra and Marius Herkommer and my contract was negotiated.
What is the point of the game?
Vitinha. And Joshua Kimmich. He wrote me a message shortly after I announced my move while I was still in Hoffenheim. He got my number. He wrote that when he went to Bayern, he had not yet played a Bundesliga game – and would still have dared to take the step. And that he trusts me to do that too. He said he was happy and that he believed in me. It was a nice goosebumps moment to get so much trust in advance.
What was the last book you read?
I recently leafed through a cookbook that I had in my Advent calendar. I really like cooking, I enjoy it. And there were really good recipes in the book. I also read “Mensch Fußballstar” by Andreas Böni.
What qualities do you value most in a teammate?
Before I went to Munich, I couldn’t even imagine that Bayern stars were completely normal. I don’t really know what I expected. Maybe that they would be aloof. But not at all. At first Kimmich’s message surprised me. Then an encounter with Manuel Neuer. I was standing in the elevator with Aleksandar Pavlovic and then he came in. And was so funny, so normal, so amusing and above all so nice. The Bayern cabin is truly an outstanding place! A place full of energy, determination and still a place to feel good.
What qualities do you value most in a friend?
I still have a lot of friends who know me as Tom, not as the footballer Bishop. They are absolutely reliable and loyal. This is crucial.
Your current heroes?
Hero is an exaggeration, but I like tennis pro Carlos Alcaraz, whose Netflix documentary “My Way” I recently watched. My parents are my heroes. You have given me so much. I have to say that I was lucky enough to have a fantastic childhood and youth. The way they raised me is perhaps something I didn’t see quite the same way when I was 15 or 16 years old. But today I appreciate it even more. They weren’t too strict, but not too lax either. If I didn’t say ‘thank you’ or ‘please’, there would be trouble. Or when I didn’t greet people properly. We stayed seated while eating. A big thank you at this point, for accompanying, supporting, encouraging and a really valuable framework of values.
Your heroines of history?
What is the biggest misconception about life as a professional footballer?
The pressure is already immense. The public one, but also the one you make for yourself. The head is at least as important as the legs.
Messi! He is complete and can decide a game alone.
A mix of both! I like Jürgen Klopp’s emotionality. At the same time, I also know what Guardiola means to Bayern and how he has contributed significantly to the further development of this club. His knowledge and Klopp’s emotionality.
What do you love most about modern football?
I like football, which is also complex. When training is demanding, not just physically, but also for the mind.
What do you hate most about modern football?
Hate on the internet! Hate speech and slander under the guise of anonymity. Poor!
Your favorite activity on a day without games or training?
A game of Wizard with my boys.
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