Jurgen Klopp will come up against some of his former Liverpool players in his first game in charge of Germany, but Virgil van Dijk is aiming to spoil the occasion for his former manager
ZEIST, NETHERLANDS - SEPTEMBER 23: Virgil van Dijk of Holland during the Training MenPress Conference Holland at the KNVB Campus on September 23, 2026 in Zeist Netherlands (Photo by Jeroen van den Berg/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Virgil van Dijk will come up against Jurgen Klopp for the first time since the latter left Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Virgil van Dijk is looking forward to being reunited with Jurgen Klopp - although the Liverpool captain is hoping to inflict some pain on his former manager.
Klopp will come up against some of his former Liverpool players on Thursday as he takes charge of Germany for the first time. The four-time world champions take on the Netherlands in Amsterdam, with Van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo all potentially in line to start.
Jeremie Frimpong, who joined Liverpool after Klopp’s departure from Anfield, is also in the Dutch squad, but Florian Wirtz will not be involved for Germany, with the 23-year-old being held back for the opening couple of games of the international break.
Thursday’s game in Amsterdam will see Van Dijk coming up against Klopp for the first time since the legendary manager waved goodbye to the Reds in 2024, and the defender is relishing the opportunity.
"It is great to run into him again,” Van Dijk told a press conference (as per De Telegraaf).
“He was a very important person in my career, along with Ronald Koeman. I was able to speak to him during the World Cup after a training session in Dallas.
"It will be nice to see him again tomorrow, but hopefully we can ensure that he loses his first match as Germany's national coach."
HERZOGENAURACH, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 22: Head coach Jürgen Klopp points during a Germany training session at Homeground on September 22, 2026 in Herzogenaurach, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp takes charge of Germany for the first time against the Netherlands(Image: Getty Images)
Thursday’s game also sees Xavi taking charge of the Dutch for the first time, having been named as Ronald Koeman’s successor following the Netherlands’ early exit from the World Cup.
There had been questions over Van Dijk’s international future following defeat to Morocco in the round-of-32, but it didn’t take long for the Liverpool captain to commit to his country’s new era.
"I needed a well-deserved holiday with my family and then an important meeting with the national coach," Van Dijk said.
"After 10 seconds, I already knew I could continue. That was just a very good meeting. It's about trust and appreciation, and he said I could be important to the team.
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"Physically, there is no doubt [I can continue], but I also want to keep having fun and feel the appreciation, and that is certainly there."
Van Dijk is also closing in on a major milestone for his country, and could earn his 100th cap for his country during the international break, with the 35-year-old currently sitting on 96 appearances.
"Of course, I am aware that not many players reach more than 100 caps. That makes me happy just thinking about it.
“But ultimately, that was not the deciding factor. I made the decision by taking a rest, spending time with my family, discussing it with those close to me, and finally having a conversation with the national coach."