Manchester City have agreed to hire former Liverpool assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders, reports have revealed.
Lijnders only departed the Reds last summer alongside long-time manager Jürgen Klopp, having spent nine-and-a-half years as part of the Liverpool coaching staff across two spells. He began as an academy coach before becoming Klopp’s assistant in 2015.
The pair parted ways in January 2018 but were reunited that summer for another six seasons, after which Lijnders opted to try his hand at first-team management once again. He was named Red Bull Salzburg manager last summer but lasted just 28 games before being sacked.
Now, a number of outlets, including The Times, have reported that Lijnders is returning to a backroom role after agreeing to join Guardiola, a fierce rival of Klopp during his time at Anfield.
Guardiola has overseen a major reshuffle to his staff after a disappointing season. Assistants Juanma Lillo, Carlos Vicens and Íñigo Domínguez have all departed, with the City boss wanting fresh opinions in an attempt to evolve his approach to management.
News of Lijnders’s imminent move comes as a surprise as the Dutchman had previously insisted he would not work as an assistant to anybody other than Klopp.
“I said before, I only want to assist Jürgen,” he told Training Ground Guru in 2023. “After that, I go for myself.”
City have also considered a promotion for another former Red, Kolo Touré. The Ivorian, who spent time with both City and Liverpool during his playing days, returned to take up an assistant role in the Cityzens’ academy last summer but has been earmarked for a role in the first team.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jurgen Klopp Favourite ‘Agrees to Join’ Pep Guardiola at Man City.
