Ex-Liverpool Assistant Pep Lijnders Takes Up Role on Manchester City’s Coaching Team

On Tuesday, Manchester City announced the addition of two ex-Liverpool coaches to Pep Guardiola’s coaching team, one of whom is Pepijn Lijnders, formerly Jurgen Klopp’s assistant.

Lijnders, from the Netherlands, will join the City staff alongside James French, a new set-piece coach who has dedicated the last 13 years of his career at Anfield.

These appointments come on the heels of the recent departures of three members of Guardiola’s coaching staff.

The 42-year-old Lijnders previously worked with both Brendan Rodgers and Klopp during his time at Liverpool.

He departed the club with Klopp following the conclusion of the 2023/24 season and briefly took on the role of head coach at Red Bull Salzburg, where he was dismissed in December.

City’s director of football, Hugo Viana, mentioned: “Pepijn and James bring with them a wealth of experience from their respective roles over the past few years.

“Their talent, dedication, work ethic, and overall commitment perfectly align with the principles that Pep wishes to implement in our style of play.”

Guardiola’s squad faced a challenging 2024/25 season, wrapping up in third place in the Premier League and missing out on securing silverware for the first time in eight years.

They will head to the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the United States, as defending champions after conquering the tournament’s previous format in Saudi Arabia two years ago.

The month-long tournament kicks off on June 14, with City set to launch their campaign against Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia four days later.