Latest news with #PepLijnders
Forbes
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Pep Lijnders Brings Liverpool Secrets To Manchester City Training
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 22: Pep Lijnders, assistant coach at Manchester City speaks Rayan Ait-Nouri ... More of Manchester City after the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group G match between Manchester City FC and Al Ain FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) It's always easier to diagnose the problem after the fact. So, in soccer, where so many intangible or secret factors influence a team's performance during a 90-minute game, speculation about when a team suddenly declines is almost limitless. Yet, when viewed in hindsight, Manchester City's horror season last year resulted from a whole host of decisions that look wildly risky in retrospect. While the ageing squad is the most obvious area the Citizens failed to address, in the post-season, another major weakness has been exposed: a misfiring backroom staff. Just as with the players, who'd delivered year after year until last season's sudden decline, there was no apparent reason for City to start tinkering with Pep Guardiola's supporting cast when the 2024/25 season began. After all, the club and the league's best record for repeatedly hiring talented coaches, evidenced by the fact that two of the five Champions League qualifiers in the Premier League last season were managed by former assistants. But almost as soon as the fixtures concluded, the club acknowledged that fresh impetus was needed. It rapidly announced that three assistant coaches, Carlos Vicens, Inigo Domingues, and Juanma Lillo, had all left the club. Juanma Lillo was always the most influential of those voices, so his exit was the most substantial. Considered an even more dogmatic possession-based soccer believer than his Catalan boss, there was always the sense that Guardiola could do with a perspective further from his own. An older, wiser figure, Lillo never spoke much English and certainly did not acquire a reputation comparable to Mikel Arteta, who was touted as an elite coach quite early into his City career. So, it is significant that his replacement comes with notoriety, which makes the appointment controversial. Pep Lijnders was part of the fabric at bitter rivals Liverpool, making his name as Jurgen Klopp's enthusiastic assistant coach. Guardiola called the ex-Liverpool manager before hiring his number two, demonstrating the significance of crossing the divide. 'We had a conversation with Jurgen, but not about Pep Lijnders,' Guardiola explained. 'We just talked on another subject, as always, we had a long conversation, and in a certain moment, I suggested I was thinking about Pep, and he gave his opinion. 'It was, of course, so high, he was his right-hand in one of the most successful periods of Liverpool in their last years. 'Then, after I took the time to decide, to reflect, I then decided to get in touch with Pep. 'Of course, he was in Salzburg and had experience with Liverpool for many years. I asked permission from Jurgen, of course, because I didn't want to interfere much. 'I said to him, 'Would it be a problem to talk to him?' and he said absolutely not. 'We talked a bit then, and in one or two days we decided, 'let's try'. 'I'm fortunate, the assistant managers I had in my career, since Barcelona, Bayern, and here I've had a lot, wow, everyone helped me incredibly.' New Energy ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 22: Pep Guardiola the head coach / manager of Manchester City with ... More Assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group G match between Manchester City FC and Al Ain FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) As senior football writer for The Independent, Richard Jolly pointed out in an article on the move that the appointment will bring a different energy than Lillo. 'At 42, Lijnders is 17 years younger than the wizened Spaniard, with a Premier League pedigree, multilingual skills – speaking Spanish and Portuguese – and bringing an energy Klopp appreciated as he aged,' he wrote. 'That City struggled with the physicality of many an opponent last season could give an added reason to appoint a coach responsible for some Liverpool sides who were primed to outrun anyone. 'A theme of Guardiola's career has been his ability to win with different assistants, starting with Tito Vilanova at Barcelona. At City, he has been joined by Mikel Arteta, Brian Kidd, Domenec Torrent, Rodolfo Borrell, Enzo Maresca and Lillo.' Lijnders' arrival is anticipated to mark a shift in City's strategy, which would be fascinating if true. Chief football writer at the BBC, Phil McNulty, is certainly expecting Guardiola's side to crank the dial up a few notches with Jurgen Klopp's ex-assistant on board. '[Lijnders] called his book 'Intensity,' and this is certainly something Manchester City lacked last season, so maybe we can expect more of that this term,' he wrote. 'Guardiola has always been open to introducing new ideas and voices into his backroom team, so this is another one of those occasions. 'He will stick to his successful strategy of possession, but maybe he does feel his team need to hear a new voice and play with more of the intensity that Lijnders sets so much store by.' There are indications that this is already translating to the training fields of America, where Manchester City is competing in the inaugural Club World Cup. According to an article by the well-informed Daily Mail journalist Jack Gaughan, during one such session, '19 members of staff are within the perimeter of the pitch, helping in some way, and there comes booming encouragement in a way that hasn't always been evident during City training. 'Peripheral members of the backroom setup are screaming positive reinforcement. It's loud; it's more in your face. It's presenting an energy. 'Everything has, according to sources, doubled. The intensity is up, the staff are 'on them' more, and – at the moment – players are responding. Players are talking up multilingual Pep] Lijnders among themselves.' If sources quoted in the piece are to be believed, the players will welcome this level of enthusiasm. Gaughan's article suggests the squad was bemused by the lack of communication from backroom staff last season. In the past, supporting coaches would instigate one-on-one chats to explain Guardiola's thinking; however, it was claimed last year that this didn't occur. It's hard to imagine Lijnders being so passive.
The Sun
24-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Why appointing Klopp's former attack dog Pep Lijnders could be Man City's best piece of business despite spending £300m
IT could be the most fascinating piece of recruitment in the Premier League all summer. The arrival of Jurgen Klopp's former attack dog Pep Lijnders as Pep Guardiola's Manchester City No. 2 is a crossing of the divide between English football's two great dynasties of the past decade. 9 9 9 While at Liverpool, the gobby Dutchman was loathed by many rival coaches and match officials due to his penchant for chucking verbal Molotovs from the touchline. Frank Lampard once called out Lijnders' 'arrogance' after a foul-mouthed exchange when Chelsea visited Anfield for a behind-closed-doors league match. In 2022, Lijnders published a controversial book titled 'Intensity' — which some claimed gave away too many of Liverpool's secrets. So this is no shrinking violet. Certainly not a nodding-dog yes-man in the mould of Phil Neal during Graham Taylor's England reign. But Lijnders, a 42-year-old career coach who never played professionally, is regarded as a great energiser by players. And he could be exactly what Guardiola needs after last season's meltdown, when City's four-in-a-row champions failed to win a trophy for the first time in eight years. Lijnders has arrived at the Etihad, via a second failed move into management with Red Bull Salzburg, along with another former Klopp acolyte, James French — City's new set-piece coach. Compared with Guardiola's old coaching mentor Juanma Lillo — who departed at the end of the season, along with fellow coaches Inigo Dominguez and Carlos Vicens — Lijnders is a far more hands-on, in-your-face character. City have already shelled out almost £300million on new players this year but Lijnders might prove to be more significant than any of them. To the public, assistant managers — like good old-fashioned children — are usually seen and not heard. But on a day-to-day basis, they are usually far more visible than the actual boss man, acting as a vital link between a manager and his squad, crucial to the overall dressing-room dynamic. Before leaving Anfield last year, Klopp claimed Lijnders had been 'the most important person' at Liverpool during his latter years and said: 'I don't think I have ever met anybody with such enthusiasm and energy for this game.' Were these just empty brags to help his mate get a job or a genuine reference, which suggests he could aid a City resurgence next season? What makes a great No. 2? Usually, they bring a contrast to the boss in terms of strengths and temperament. The finest managerial duo English football has ever known were Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, two-time European Cup winners who led both Derby and Nottingham Forest to top-flight titles. Clough was the charismatic frontman, Taylor regarded as the finest talent-spotter in the business and a tactical genius. 9 9 Taylor's role in Forest's glories were fully recognised — he has a stand named after him at the City Ground — and Clough was never as successful after the pair fell out. Similarly, Bob Paisley was the quiet man to his bombastic boss Bill Shankly and highly unusual as a no. 2, who stepped into the top job and was a roaring success, winning Liverpool's first three European Cups. In the modern day, the dynamics can be very different — sporting directors usually oversee recruitment and there are a phalanx of first-team coaches but the right-hand man remains a crucial cog. Newcastle's Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall are a classic combination — the quiet manager and the manic assistant — while Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland were a tight 'good cop, bad cop' duo over eight successful years with England. Guardiola, though, is more like the only manager of the Premier League era who can boast more success than him — Sir Alex Ferguson, who went through a host of assistants during his 27-year reign at Manchester United. The arrival of Lijnders is so intriguing because he brings an element of Klopp's 'heavy-metal football' to the more symphonic Guardiola. Lijnders returned to Liverpool's backroom staff after an unsuccessful spell in charge of Dutch club NEC Nijmegen in 2018, just as Klopp's glory years began and the pair won every major trophy together. So for Guardiola to hire the other Pep is further acknowledgement of his respect for Klopp. City lacked energy and purpose during their extraordinary mid-season cliff-dive and Guardiola has reacted with sweeping changes. The arrival of Lijnders is a direct response to that dropping of standards — City will be livelier with Klopp's attack dog barking in their ears. Seizing back the crown from Arne Slot's ever-strengthening Liverpool will be a tough ask. But Pep and Pep are capable of pepping up City significantly. Nic red alert 9 IF you're a striker and your club has just bought a promising young rival for your position, how best to approach the challenge? Well, if you're Nicolas Jackson and Chelsea have just signed Liam Delap, you respond with a second red card for reckless challenges in four appearances. Jackson may be a goal threat but he is also one of football's great loose cannons — banned after five yellows for dissent in his first six Premier League matches. His days at Stamford Bridge are numbered... despite the Senegalese striker having a contract until 2033. Fit as a fiddle 9 WITH plenty of violin music being played for burnt-out sportsmen, fair play to Dan Evans for calling out the current excuse culture. The British tennis star says: 'I am fed up with sportspeople who, when they lose, there is an issue. 'Just f***ing shake the guy's hand and say well done. 'Somebody is never better than us — it's always 'we are tired'. 'If you're sick, you're sick. It's part of being a tennis player. 'Tiredness, the schedule — you can take time off. It's not an excuse. You have lost. That's it.' Music to the ears! Car starter 9 LEE CARSLEY'S England Under-21s scored an excellent 3-1 quarter-final win over Spain as they defend their Euros crown in Slovakia. Carsley's CV is getting ever more impressive. If he wasn't so unnecessarily nervous in media calls, he would be a shoo-in to eventually succeed seniors boss Thomas Tuchel. Home comforts 9 MANCHESTER CITY fans will be delighted to hear a United-supporting friend is convinced Pep Guardiola's side will win the Club World Cup. 'With all these empty seats around, every match will feel like a home game,' he surmises. How very cruel of him.
BBC News
17-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'We can expect more intensity from Man City this season'
Over on our live page our chief football writer Phil McNulty has been taking your Lincoln: Hi Phil, is Manchester City's appointment of Pep Lijnders (and another former-Liverpool analyst in James French) a signal that Pep Guardiola is looking to move away from his signature style and towards the heavy metal style of Jurgen Klopp?Phil McNulty said: Hello, Dave. The arrival of Lijnders is certainly an interesting move, given how closely linked he was with Jurgen Klopp's successes at called his book 'Intensity' and this is certainly something Manchester City lacked last season, so maybe we can expect more of that this has always been open to introducing new ideas and voices into his backroom team so this is another one of those will stick to his successful strategy of possession, but maybe he does feel his team need to hear a new voice and play with more of the intensity that Lijnders sets so much store more of the Q&A here
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Toure takes lead as Man City start training in US
In 31C heat in Boca Raton, Florida, the Manchester City players emerged at the incredible facilities at Lynn University to begin their Club World Cup Haaland and co were put through their paces in the team's first training session since arriving in the United States with new signings Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Marcus Bettinelli all involved with their team-mates for the first most intriguing aspect of the session was seeing how vocal first team coach Kolo Toure was after the ex-City defender was drafted in from the youth team for this former full-back was barking out instructions and seems to have already forged a good working relationship with new assistant coach Pep training sessions will ramp up over the next few days before beginning their campaign against Moroccan side Wydad AC in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Daily Mirror
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Pep Guardiola's major shake-up at Man City to have 'big impact' behind scenes
Pep Lijnders has been announced as Manchester City's new assistant manager in a major shake-up this summer, which saw three coaches part ways with the Etihad Stadium Manchester City's coaching ranks are set for a seismic shift as Pep Lijnders steps into the role of Pep Guardiola's assistant manager - a move tipped to galvanise the squad by former City stalwart Richard Dunne. Dunne, who defended the Sky Blue colours with honour from 2000 to 2009, shared his thoughts with the Manchester Evening News via William Hill, saying: "I think it has a big effect on the dressing room. "I think the fact players build up relationships, certainly with assistant coaches, they can tend to get closer to them because they're not the ones making the big decisions in the end, so players trust them a little bit more, they give them a little bit more information. "So it can have a major effect, obviously from a footballing point of view. People come in with fresher ideas, something new, that might give the players a little bit of a lift. "But, yeah, it's not something that you change lightly, I wouldn't have thought. You don't just wake up and think, right, it's the assistants that have to go. I think it makes a big effect on the overall atmosphere within the club and certainly the sort of training sessions that will come from it on the pitch. "The players are used to winning things, they're used to being challenged, so I'd imagine I can see it being that some players will miss the outcome on coaches and some players will look forward to the new ones coming in. So it's a bit of a mixed one but it feels like it needs to freshen the whole thing up and not just the playing staff but also the coaches. "I think with Kolo Toure, he's been there working with the under-18s this season, so that's just a progression for him. I think Pep Lijnders will know the mentality that comes from within Liverpool. He knows how to get inside, organise the energy that it took from Liverpool and maybe that's something that's that City missed this year, was just that little bit of energy, that bit of almost hunger and relentlessness in games. "Sometimes they got run over in midfield and I think when you look back at the Liverpool side that Pep Lijnders was involved with, that never happened to them, so that might be something that he brings to them. It's hard to add more to what Pep's already got, because whoever comes in and works for him ends up being really good, but obviously it comes back and I'll come from him." Lijnders, a key figure in Liverpool's Premier League and Champions League triumphs alongside Jurgen Klopp, left the Reds in May 2024 to manage Red Bull Salzburg. However, after just 29 games at the helm, he parted ways with the Austrian Bundesliga side in December. Meanwhile, City's U18 coach Toure is reportedly heading to the United States to join Guardiola for the Club World Cup, but it remains unclear whether he will secure a permanent role under the coaching reshuffle. It comes after the departures of Juanma Lillo, Inigo Dominguez and Carlos Vicens, who leave the Etihad upon the expiration of their contracts this summer. City, along with Chelsea, are the only English teams participating in the Club World Cup this summer. The Sky Blues' first group stage match sees them face Moroccan team Wydad AC, before they take on UAE Pro League outfit Al-Ain and Serie A heavyweights Juventus. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
