Virgil van Dijk admitted to accidentally breaking a rule set by Jurgen Klopp before making his Liverpool debut. The defender was a marquee signing but quickly discovered he had crossed a line ahead of his first game for the club.
Klopp's New Rules with Germany
Klopp has begun laying down the law in his new role as Germany boss. The 59-year-old called time on his Liverpool reign in 2024 but has recently returned to the dugout as an international coach following his two-year break from management.
The former Reds manager has reportedly introduced four new rules after taking over the reins with Germany. He has insisted players must arrive together for dinners at the team hotel each day.
Members of the German national team have also been banned from having their phones on matchdays and will no longer be allowed to have haircuts at the team hotel. Looking ahead to major tournaments, players' families will be allowed to visit occasionally, rather than accompanying them at all times.
The 'This is Anfield' Rule
Upon taking over at Liverpool in October 2015, one of Klopp's rules was to stop his squad from touching the famous 'This is Anfield' sign until they had secured a trophy under him. In 2016, Klopp explained his stance: "I've told my players not to touch the 'This Is Anfield' sign until they win something. It's a sign of respect."
However, Van Dijk was unaware of his new manager's previous instruction when arriving from Southampton in January 2018. The Dutch defender later admitted to making a mistake ahead of his Reds debut against rivals Everton in the FA Cup.
Despite unknowingly going against Klopp's orders, Van Dijk proved to be the match-winner, scoring the decisive goal in a 2-1 win. The ban on touching the sign was eventually lifted after Liverpool won the Champions League in 2019 but the gesture slipped the centre-back's mind at the start of the next campaign.
Van Dijk's Admission and Klopp on Wirtz
In September 2019, Van Dijk recalled his previous mistake: "I forgot to [touch it] in the opening game of the season but I actually touched it in my very first game against Everton because I didn't know there was a rule! After that, I heard about it. Maybe I will touch it in the future."
Van Dijk also lifted the Premier League, FA Cup, Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup and clinched the League Cup twice during Klopp's tenure. Following his decision to step down, the experienced defender captained the Reds to another Premier League title in 2025.
The new Germany boss subsequently worked as Red Bull's global head of football before being appointed national team manager in July. Klopp named 44 players in his first squad ahead of the expanded international break and made his thoughts clear on Liverpool star Florian Wirtz.
"We have to move away from the idea that we need to see special moments from him," Klopp said of Wirtz. "He is there to help us as a team. We have to make sure that Flo feels comfortable with us.
"When the team works, then every player shines as a consequence. You have to be satisfied with a game in which Flo Wirtz gave everything but didn't have a goal or assist.
"We simply have to give the boy the feeling, 'That was more than good enough today. You helped us as a team. We won 1-0 or 2-0.'"
