Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp disatisfied and ban six Reds players from touching the This Is Anfield sign before games
Jurgen Klopp has banned six Liverpool stars from touching the famous This Is Anfield sign before matches.
The This Is Anfield sign is iconic and has been celebrated across European football since Bill Shankly first erected it some 50 years ago.
The statement endorsed one of Shankly’s most famous quotes: “It’s to remind our boys who they play for and to remind the opposition they play against!”
The sign has been modified three times over the years, but has retained its historic status to this day.
In the last decade alone, that Liverpool won 19 leagues, a sixth European Cup, a ninth League Cup, an eighth FA Cup, a fourth Super Cup and a first Club World Cup.
Current players ritually touch the sign when they enter the field. Currently, however, six players have yet to earn the privilege.
In 2016, in the early days of his Liverpool tenure, Klopp said: “I told my players not to touch the ‘This is Anfield’ sign until they win something!
“It’s a sign of respect. I touched it when I was manager of Borussia Dortmund, but we lost 4-0.
If the rule is followed however, summer signings Alexis MacAllister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch cannot touch the mark.
Meanwhile, with the Reds failing to pick up silverware last season, January signings Cody Gakpo and youngster Stefan Bajcetic are also banned from touching the tunnel sign.
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