Man City to Appoint Former Liverpool Assistant Manager Alongside Pep Guardiola – Report | OneFootball

Lijnders to Manchester City: Football Logic or Emotional Betrayal?

According to The Times, Pepijn Lijnders, once the right-hand man to Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, is set to join Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Manchester City. In isolation, this is a coaching reshuffle. But in the broader context of recent Premier League history, it demands a closer look—not least because it speaks to the human and strategic dimensions of elite football.

Career Path or Club Loyalty?

Pep Lijnders’ departure from Liverpool last year was overshadowed by Klopp’s emotional farewell. Still, for those who watched Liverpool closely over the past decade, Lijnders was not a background figure. He was prominent on the touchline, vocal in training, and widely regarded as tactically astute. That he and Klopp “won seven trophies together” is not a footnote, it’s a legacy.

His subsequent move to Red Bull Salzburg as head coach was ambitious, but ill-fated. He lasted just a few months before being sacked in December. The Times notes, “He was sacked… and has been on gardening leave since.” This, too, is not unusual. Many top coaches fail in their first managerial roles. The real story is what happens next.

Guardiola’s Staff Overhaul: A Calculated Addition

Guardiola is a manager who values continuity, but also evolves. With Juanma Lillo and Íñigo Domínguez departing, and Carlos Vicens heading to SC Braga, there was a clear need for fresh ideas in his backroom team. Lijnders provides those in spades.

Hiring a former rival’s assistant might raise eyebrows, but football rarely accommodates sentiment. Lijnders understands high-press systems, in-game management, and modern tactical transitions. Those skills are transferable, regardless of shirt colour.

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As The Times reported: “The recruitment of Lijnders… comes after the battles Liverpool and City fought when vying for the Premier League title over a number of seasons.” That matters. Guardiola is not trying to settle scores. He’s trying to gain an edge. And if that comes from someone who’s stood across from him on the touchline, so be it.

Missed Steps, and What They Mean

Before City’s call, Lijnders was in the mix for the Norwich City job. Ultimately, Liam Manning was preferred. That too is instructive. It shows how precarious the managerial ladder can be. One minute you’re lifting the Champions League as an assistant, the next you’re rejected by a mid-table Championship side.

That Guardiola has handed Lijnders a route back to the top of the game speaks volumes about the regard in which he is held within elite football circles.

His new role will kick off with City’s participation in the Club World Cup in the United States, beginning on 18 June against Wydad AC. It’s not the Premier League spotlight, but it’s a significant stage.

Beyond Rivalries: This is Football Realpolitik

Football is not a romance novel. The idea of loyalty is often projected more by supporters than professionals. From a practical standpoint, Lijnders needed a new platform. Guardiola needed a high-level assistant with Premier League pedigree. Their union is logical.

But it would be naïve to pretend it will not sting Liverpool fans. City were not just any rival during Klopp’s tenure—they were the rival. Lijnders, more than most, understands what that rivalry meant. So while he may not betray secrets, he will bring perspective, habits, and methodologies to the Etihad.

EPL Index understands that Arne Slot has already begun shaping Liverpool in his own image, fresh off a Premier League title in his debut season. That success may soften the emotional blow, but this development still carries weight.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

For many Liverpool supporters, this move cuts deeper than it should. It’s not that Pep Lijnders has returned to coaching, or even that he failed at Salzburg. It’s that he’s resurfaced at Manchester City, the very team that symbolised Liverpool’s most exhausting battles under Klopp.

Some may argue that Lijnders owes Liverpool nothing. He gave his prime years to the club, stayed loyal to Klopp, and sought to challenge himself in management. But optics matter in football. To move directly into the arms of Guardiola after standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Klopp for nearly a decade feels jarring.

More importantly, fans will worry—not entirely irrationally—about what Lijnders brings to City. While professional codes of conduct will prevent overt leaking of internal information, there’s an undeniable advantage in simply knowing how a former rival club operates day-to-day.

Arne Slot has made an exceptional start, and Liverpool’s current trajectory is promising. But Lijnders at City may just provide Guardiola with enough marginal gain to keep the title race tight.

This is not a betrayal, but it is a reminder that football, at the top level, is pragmatic to a fault.