Jurgen Klopp‘s former right-hand man Pepijn Lijnders has been named as a surprise candidate to join Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff after a big shake-up at the Etihad.
Liverpool’s former assistant manager, Lijnders, started the 2024/25 season as head coach of Red Bull Salzburg but was out of a job by December after only 28 games in charge.
Earlier this month the Dutchman was in the running for the vacant job at Norwich, but despite interviewing for the role it is set to be handed to Liam Manning.
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A return to England is not off the cards, though, as shock links have tied Lijnders to the vacancies at Man City after the exits of three of Guardiola’s assistant coaches were confirmed.
Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez depart having reached the end of their contracts, while Carlos Vicens has been appointed head coach at Portuguese side Braga.
Lijnders “is under consideration” to join Guardiola at City, according to The Times‘ Paul Joyce, as is ex-Red Kolo Toure who currently works as an assistant coach for City’s under-18s.
It would be quite the turn of events to see Lijnders work under Guardiola at City having worked tirelessly alongside Klopp to stop the Manchester side from sweeping up every trophy.
On a personal level, though, it would be quite the experience for the Dutchman to have worked under two of the best managers in the modern era.
Guardiola’s side ended this season without a major trophy for the first time in eight years and with his assistants not to attend the Club World Cup next month a quick recruitment process is expected.
Lijnders making the move to the Etihad would certainly be surprising but stranger things have happened!
