Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is set to oversee his first game as Germany head coach over the international break and he has already cracked the whip with his new side
Jurgen Klopp has enforced four new rules for the German national side as he attempts to restore it to its former glory.
Die Manschaaft have endured a rotten few years over the past decade; they were knocked out at the group stage of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, while they were eliminated by Paraguay in the most recent tournament. Their latest Euros performances have not been much better, having not reached the semi-finals since 2016.
That has seen them go through an array of managers including Hansi Flick and Julian Nagelsmann. The latter was sacked after the World Cup and was replaced by Klopp.
And the ex-Liverpool boss has now laid down the law to his new players with a strict list of new rules. According to Bild, dinner times are now strict, with all of the staff and players expected to arrive together at 7 or 8pm.
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Meanwhile, phones have been banned before games, with players expected to focus solely on their performance. In a similar vein, players will not be allowed to get haircuts at the team hotel, with it expected that they will get those kinds of things sorted before joining up with the national side.
Finally, Klopp has also limited family visits during major tournaments. There will be exceptions to that rule, albeit there will no longer be an open door policy as before.
Klopp will have the first chance to see if his new rules have had an impact on Thursday as Germany take on rivals the Netherlands in their Nations League opener. They then face Greece twice, with a clash against Serbia sandwiched in between.
The ex-Liverpool boss has already taken a slightly unconventional approach with his first squad, having effectively named two different selections.
Explaining that approach, he said: “I want to get to know as many players as possible. There is no A or B team. The squads are put together in a way that makes sense on the pitch and in terms of character and experience.”
But he already appears to be having a huge impact on his new players. Defender Philipp Treu said: “It’s definitely something where you say, ‘Hey, cool, that I can now train under Jürgen Klopp’.
“And that’s why I’m just looking forward to being on the pitch with him later, soaking it all in, and just giving it my all.”
Freiburg teammate Max Rosenfelder added: “I believe that he is simply a very, very special person. I think he’s someone who can connect and engage people very well.”
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