Jurgen Klopp imposes strict new rules on Germany squad with phone and hairdresser bans

Jurgen Klopp has begun his tenure as Germany manager by introducing a strict set of rules designed to improve discipline and togetherness within the national team.

Rather than starting with tactical changes or his renowned high-pressing approach, the former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool manager has focused first on life inside the team’s dining room, dressing room and training camp.

German newspaper Bild reported details of the regulations imposed on the 44 players called up during the current international break. The rules mark a clear departure from the more flexible environment associated with Julian Nagelsmann and signal the start of what has been described as a far more disciplined regime.

The first major change concerns mealtimes. Klopp has immediately scrapped the “two-meal” system used by Nagelsmann, under which players could choose to have dinner at any point between 19:00 and 20:00.

Under Klopp’s arrangement, every player must eat at the same time and sit together at one table, with no exceptions. His coaching staff regard the policy as more than an administrative measure.

They believe eating together will help build team chemistry, reduce the isolation of individual stars and encourage players to spend more time with one another away from the pitch. The wider aim is to recreate the sense of a “family” that characterised Germany during the national team’s most successful periods.

A second rule targets distractions. Mobile phones have been completely banned at key moments, including on matchdays and during warm-ups, massages and pre-match treatment sessions.

The coaching staff’s stated objective is to separate players mentally from the outside world and ensure their attention is focused entirely on the upcoming game.

The restrictions also extend to personal grooming. Private hairdressers are no longer allowed to enter the team hotel or training facilities, a practice that had become increasingly common among Germany’s players.

Anyone wishing to change their hairstyle or appearance must now do so before joining the national team camp.

Family visits have also been reduced. Under Nagelsmann, relatives were able to visit almost every day, but those meetings will now take place only occasionally and will be limited to very short periods.

Klopp’s approach is intended to create a closed camp in which football is the sole focus. His first measures therefore place discipline, collective routines and concentration at the centre of his new Germany era.