Klopp lays down four new rules for Germany squad
The short version
- Klopp has set fixed dinner times so the entire squad eats together.
- Players cannot use phones before matches on matchdays.
- Haircuts are no longer permitted at the team hotel.
- Families may join players only occasionally at major tournaments.
Germany's head coach has reportedly introduced stricter team rules covering meals, phones, haircuts and family visits.
Jürgen Klopp is tightening the standards around Germany's national team, according to a Bild report by journalists Christian Falk and Julian Agardi. The measures mark a break from the more relaxed approach under predecessor Julian Nagelsmann.
The first change concerns punctuality at meals. Where players previously drifted in for dinner over a window beginning at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., the whole squad is now expected at the table at a fixed time. Staff see shared dinners as a way to build cohesion and get players talking to one another.
Matchdays bring a second rule: phones are off limits before kickoff. During pre-match preparation, such as gym warmups or massages, players are being pushed to concentrate and to chat with teammates instead of scrolling. A third measure bans haircuts at the team hotel, with the logic that a barber visit belongs on the schedule before a trip, as it would for any professional.
The final point limits family access. Nagelsmann drew criticism for letting families be constantly present at the World Cup, and under Klopp they will only occasionally be around during major tournaments so the squad can stay focused on its collective objective at the hotel.