Klopp set the tone at his opening squad announcement on 17 September, first reported by Bild and picked up across German and international coverage. The four-point code lands less than a week before his competitive debut, away to the Netherlands.

He rolled it out alongside a deliberately wide 44-name pool for September and October, a squad still reshaping after Germany’s early exit from the 2026 World Cup and the departure of Julian Nagelsmann.

“I want to get to know as many players as possible. There is no A or B team,” Klopp told reporters when he unveiled the group.

Klopp’s four-point checklist

• Dinner on time, together: the whole squad must be at the table when the set mealtime hits, ending the phased 7pm-to-8pm arrivals tolerated under Nagelsmann.
• No phones on matchdays: devices are off during pre-match activation, gym warm-ups and treatment work; conversation with team-mates at the neighbouring table is instead encouraged.
• No haircuts at the team hotel: barbers are no longer welcome at camp, with players told to sort their look before they arrive, on the logic that a business trip is not the time to book the chair.
• Family visits pared back: only occasional access, and mostly during major tournaments, tightening the more open policy that surrounded the group during the World Cup.

Xavi waiting in Amsterdam

Klopp signed a contract that runs to 2030 when he took the job over the summer. His first assignment is Group A2 of the Nations League, and it is not a soft opener.

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Germany play away to the Netherlands at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Thursday, kick-off 8:45pm local time. Xavi Hernandez, recently appointed as the new Netherlands head coach, takes charge of his own competitive debut on the same night.

Germany then host Greece in Augsburg on 27 September.

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