6 months ago
18 Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders has been confirmed as the new head coach of Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg having spent the majority of the last 10 years at Anfield.
The Dutch coach will follow Jurgen Klopp out the door at the Merseyside club this summer and he will be joined in Salzburg by the Reds’ elite development coach, Vitor Matos, who will become the Austrian club’s assistant coach.
Lijnders has been a crucial part of the Klopp era at Anfield and has often been praised by the German coach for the work he has done. The 41-year-old joined Liverpool back in 2014 as their U16s coach, before stepping up to become first-team development coach in 2015.
The Dutchman would become Klopp’s assistant manager ahead of the 2018-19 campaign and that is the role he has held ever since. Lijnders wants to embark on his own managerial journey ahead of the 2024/25 campaign and he feels that a move to Austria is the right step.
Red Bull Salzburg confirmed the appointment of the Liverpool coach on Wednesday as the 41-year-old joins a club that has won the Austrian league the last ten years in a row. Die Roten Bullen are also regulars in the Champions League group stages and maybe Lijnders will meet his old club in the competition next season.
Liverpool’s Pep Lijnders is the new head coach of Red Bull Salzburg
Liverpool’s Pep Lijnders excited for Red Bull Salzburg challenge
Speaking after his appointment as Salzburg boss was confirmed, Lijnders has stated that he is proud to become the Austrian club’s new head coach and is looking forward to helping the team move forward.
“I am very proud to become the new head coach of FC Red Bull Salzburg,” said the Dutch coach via Liverpoolfc.com.
“This is a real privilege for me. After PSV Eindhoven, FC Porto and Liverpool FC, 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.
“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.”
This is an exciting step in Lijnders’ career and the Dutch coach has all the tools to become a success in management.
