Pepijn Lijnders

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Pepijn Lijnders
FC Salzburg gegen GNK Dinamo Zagreb (2024-10-23 Championsleague Dritte Runde) 47.jpg
Lijnders managing Red Bull Salzburg in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (1983-01-24) 24 January 1983 (age 42)
Place of birth Broekhuizen, Netherlands
Team information
Current team
 Manchester City
(assistant coach)
Managerial career
YearsTeam
2018 NEC
2024 Red Bull Salzburg

Pepijn Lijnders (born 24 January 1983) is a Dutch football manager who is assistant coach at Premier League club Manchester City.

Contents

Lijnders has predominantly worked as a backroom staff coach, most notably spending two spells as Jurgen Klopp's assistant at Liverpool. He has also had spells as manager of both NEC and Red Bull Salzburg. In June 2025, he joined Manchester City as Pep Guardiola's new assistant coach.

Coaching career

Early career

Lijnders began his managerial career in 2002 with PSV Eindhoven, helping with youth training and individual player development. In 2006, he moved to Porto and helped develop their youth academy, working under guidance of Vítor Frade and Luís Castro. During his time in the club he worked under Jesualdo Ferreira, André Villas-Boas, Vítor Pereira and Paulo Fonseca. [1]

Liverpool

In 2014, Lijnders moved to Liverpool as development coach under Brendan Rodgers, and later continued with Jürgen Klopp as assistant coach, as well as first team trainer with Klopp. [2]

NEC Nijmegen

On 2 January 2018, Lijnders accepted the managerial job at NEC in the Dutch Eerste Divisie, signing a year and a half long contract. [3] [4] On 17 May 2018, Lijnders was dismissed after NEC failed to gain promotion to the Eredivisie in the promotion play-offs. [5]

Return to Liverpool

Lijnders returned to the Liverpool coaching staff on 5 June 2018. [6] He was part of the coaching staff that helped Liverpool win their sixth UEFA Champions League on 1 June 2019, their first FIFA Club World Cup on 21 December 2019, and the Premier League title at the end of the 2019–20 season.

In 2022, Lijnders published his first book, Intensity: Our Identity, an inside account of Liverpool's 2021–22 season. [7] Later that year, Lijnders defended himself against suggestions that his book had "exposed" Liverpool's secrets. [8] [9]

On 26 January 2024, it was announced that, along with Jürgen Klopp, Lijnders would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. [10] Lijnders was expected to pursue his own managerial career after his departure from Liverpool. [11]

Red Bull Salzburg

On 15 May 2024, Lijnders signed a contract as the new Red Bull Salzburg manager. [12] Early in the 2024–25 season, Lijnders faced criticism after he demoted Austria's national team goalkeeper Alexander Schlager to the bench, fielding Janis Blaswich on loan from Leipzig. Blaswich conceded 12 goals in Salzburg's first three Champions League games. [13] On 16 December 2024, it was announced that Salzburg were parting ways with Lijnders after 29 games in charge of the club with Salzburg chasing a 10-point deficit in the Austrian Bundesliga. [14]

Manchester City

On 10 June 2025, Lijnders was announced as Pep Guardiola's new assistant coach at Manchester City. [15] [16]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 14 December 2024
Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamFromToRecord
GWDLGFGAGDWin %
NEC 3 January 201817 May 20182211473929+10050.00
Red Bull Salzburg 1 July 202416 December 20242913795042+8044.83
Career total512411168971+18047.06

References

  1. ↑ "Liverpool's Pepijn Lijnders is a big deal". 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "Pepijn Lijnders leaves Liverpool to take charge at NEC Nijmegen". ESPN. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  3. ↑ "Pepijn Lijnders nieuwe hoofdtrainer N.E.C." nec-nijmegen.nl. 2 January 2018. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "Liverpool-assistent Lijnders nieuwe hoofdtrainer NEC". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 2 January 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  5. ↑ "Lijnders na half jaar alweer op straat gezet door NEC". nos.nl. 17 May 2018.
  6. ↑ "Pep Lijnders rejoins LFC coaching staff". Liverpool FC. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  7. ↑ "Pep Lijnders to release new book on Liverpool's 2021/22 season with Jurgen Klopp insight promised". Liverpool Echo . 7 July 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "Pep Lijnders responds to criticism of his book and suggestion Liverpool 'secrets' were exposed". Liverpool Echo. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  9. ↑ "Pepijn Lijnders insists his book has not given "inside information" to rivals". This is Anfield. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  10. ↑ Gorst, Paul (26 January 2024). "Jorg Schmadtke and Pep Lijnders both leaving Liverpool as backroom staff exit after Jurgen Klopp". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  11. ↑ Squires, Theo (1 February 2024). "Pep Lijnders explains decision to leave Liverpool and hints at why other coaches are departing". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "New coach comes from Liverpool". Red Bull Salzburg. 15 May 2024.
  13. ↑ "Fußball: Schlager wirbt für Salzburg-Comeback". sport.ORF.at (in German). 11 October 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  14. ↑ "Struggling Salzburg fires coach Lijnders ahead of Klopp's arrival at Red Bull". AP News. 16 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  15. ↑ Leigh, Neil (10 June 2025). "City confirm twin coaching appointments". Manchester City F.C. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  16. ↑ "Former Liverpool assistant Lijnders joins Man City". BBC Sport . 10 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
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