Pep Lijnders Breaks Jurgen Klopp Promise After Liverpool Exit
Pep Lijnders, once a trusted colleague of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, has broken a significant promise made to the former Reds manager by joining Manchester City as an assistant to Pep Guardiola. This move marks a surprising turn in Lijnders' career, following his departure from Anfield alongside Klopp at the end of the 2023/24 season.
From Liverpool to RB Salzburg and Beyond
After leaving Liverpool, Lijnders embarked on a head coaching role, signing a three-year contract with RB Salzburg in May 2024. However, his tenure there was short-lived, lasting only seven months before he was dismissed just before the new year. Opting to take a break from football until the following summer, Lijnders' next career move shocked the Liverpool fanbase when he accepted a position at Manchester City.
At City, he now serves as one of Guardiola's assistant managers, working alongside former defender Kolo Toure. This decision directly contradicts a promise Lijnders made to Klopp upon leaving Liverpool for the second time. At that time, the 43-year-old Dutchman insisted he would never assist another manager, instead focusing solely on his managerial career.
Lijnders' Pledge and Its Break
Reflecting on his decade at Liverpool, Lijnders stated, "10 years of the club and my boys don’t know anything else, they are Scousers. I owe this club everything. They don’t owe me anything, to be honest." He added, "I always said I will finish with Jurgen; the moment I will not assist anyone else, that’s the moment I will go and I will manage. That was always the case. So when we spoke, it was clear for me: OK, then I go and manage, and we end this project together [that] we started."
Despite this pledge, Lijnders has now aligned himself with Guardiola, who has famously described Klopp as his greatest-ever rival. Guardiola explained his decision to hire Lijnders, saying, "I had a lot of info from other people about him who had been trained or managed by him at Liverpool. I needed to refresh myself first with new people who have incredible knowledge about the game and the Premier League and I love a lot many things that he did with Jurgen at Liverpool." He noted an immediate connection during their discussions.
Impact at Manchester City
Lijnders' contribution to Manchester City has already yielded success, with the team defeating Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final last month. A domestic cup double remains possible as City prepares to host Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals this Saturday. Notably, Lijnders will be on the touchline managing City in this match, as Guardiola serves a two-match ban, aiming to knock out his former club.
This development underscores the dynamic and often unpredictable nature of football careers, where loyalties and promises can shift in pursuit of new opportunities. Lijnders' journey from Klopp's confidant to Guardiola's assistant highlights the competitive and interconnected world of top-tier football management.
