Jurgen Klopp’s right-hand man Pep Lijnders has signed a three-year deal to become manager of Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg.
The Dutchman will follow Klopp out of the Anfield exit door this weekend to pursue a career in first-team management and will take his first post at the Austrian giants, with fellow Liverpool coach Vitor Matos joining him as assistant.
Mail Sport reported yesterday how Lijnders was close to an agreement to join Salzburg after being under consideration for the job at Ajax and Besiktas. The Austrian outfit are second in the table behind leaders Sturm Graz.
Lijnders said: ‘I am very proud to become the new head coach of Red Bull Salzburg. This is a real privilege for me. After PSV Eindhoven, Porto and Liverpool, I am now moving to another exceptional club with a really good structure and a particular focus on youth development.
‘I want to develop a mentality with the team that places a lot of emphasis on attacking style of play and where passion and hunger for success are the basis of everything.
Liverpool assistant boss Pep Lijnders is set to take over as head coach of Red Bull Salzburg
Lijnders – who has been Klopp’s assistant manager for the majority of his time at Anfield – will take up the post with the Austrian side upon his exit from the Reds at the end of this season
Lijnders (left) has won seven trophies during his extremely decorated spell with Liverpool
He will be joined by fellow Reds coach Vitor Matos (left), who will be his assistant in Austria
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‘Together with my assistant coach Vitor Matos and the entire support team, we will do our best to help the club continue to grow in an ever-changing football world.
‘My family has visited the city before and was overwhelmed by its beauty and the friendliness of the people. That was the last and important step for me in choosing Salzburg.’
Lijnders had a brief attempt at first-team management in 2018 but did not last long at Dutch side NEC Nijmegen and returned to work alongside Klopp, where he authored a tell-all autobiography called Intensity.
Some fans accused Lijnders of ‘spilling the beans’ with that memoir but he has also been heralded as the brains of Klopp’s tight-knit coaching team alongside long-term ally Peter Krawietz, who also leaves this week.
After joining as a coach in 2014, the Dutchman left in 2018 to take over at Dutch second tier side NEC, before he returned just six months later after he was sacked from the role
Lijnders will replace former Salzburg boss Gerhard Struber, who was dismissed last month
But Klopp believes Lijnders is more than ready to make the step-up – and has frequently said as much in the months since announcing his departure. The Dutch coach, who speaks five languages, first joined the Reds in 2014.
Matos has been hailed as the ‘link man’ between Liverpool’s academy and first team. His official title at Anfield was elite development coach and his role was to help youngsters – like Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah this season – make the step up to first-team regulars.
Other backroom staffers Andreas Kornmayer and Andreas Schlumberger, as well as two goalkeeping coaches, are also set to depart Anfield.
