Former Liverpool manager Pep Lijnders has explained his decision to leave the club, following Pep Guardiola’s departure from the Etihad Stadium after just one year.
Pep Lijnders spent just one year at Manchester City (Image: Getty Images)
Outgoing Manchester City manager Pep Lijnders will leave the club after a year to spend more time with his family. The Dutchman made a surprise arrival at the Etihad Stadium last summer, linking up with Josep Guardiola.
His move to Manchester follows an impressive spell at Liverpool with manager Jurgen Klopp as the Reds competed with City for promotion to the Premier League.
But with Guardiola set to end his 10-year spell at the club this summer, Lijnders has decided to follow Guardiola from the exit gate, explaining why he has turned down a long-term stay.
“My wife and I want a permanent place for our growing sons. Returning to the UK for many years is no longer an option,” he told AD.
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“If it wasn’t for my family, I wouldn’t have been able to complete my second year anyway.The club wanted to move on and offered me a new position on their staff or the chance to become a head coach at a foreign club within the City Football Group.”
Regarding the impetus behind his move to City, Reijnders added, “When Pep called me last May, he responded immediately. I said, “I want to create a new City again.”
“He knew how Jurgen and I worked together at Liverpool and approached me with Klopp’s blessing. He also said that he was in the final two years of his contract. ‘So it’s not about a long-term project. Does that matter to you?’
“Guardiola specifically wanted three things: having a coach by his side who would challenge him with fresh ideas, a more attacking style of play to survive in the increasingly physical Premier League, and innovation on the training pitch.”
Lijnders helped City win two trophies during his time at the club (Image: Getty Images)
“He is very passionate. We were busy from morning until evening every day. He works on the match plan like a surgeon does heart surgery, checking all the important parts with tweezers, with great care. And, like Klopp, he has a genuine love for the players. That, that love, is what separates the absolute top coaches from other coaches.”
Lijnders, 43, started his coaching career at PSV and Porto before moving to Liverpool in 2014. He spent four years at the club before taking a job at NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands.
Just six months later, he returned to Liverpool and became a key part of Klopp’s coaching team. He retired for the second time in 2024, and then became the manager of Red Bull Salzburg.
That role lasted only 29 games. Lijnders was only out of work for six months before his shock move to Man City, where he helped the club win the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
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