Pepijn Lijnders (born 24 January 1983) is a Dutch football manager who is the head coach of Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg.

Pepijn Lijnders
Lijnders in 2024 managing Red Bull Salzburg
Personal information
Date of birth (1983-01-24) 24 January 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth Broekhuizen, Netherlands
Team information
Current team
Red Bull Salzburg (head coach)
Managerial career
Years Team
2018 NEC
2024– Red Bull Salzburg

Career

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Lijnders began his managerial career in 2002 with PSV Eindhoven, helping with youth training and individual player development. In 2006, he moved to Porto and helped develop their youth academy, working under guidance of Vítor Frade and Luís Castro. During his time in the club he worked under Jesualdo Ferreira, André Villas-Boas, Vítor Pereira and Paulo Fonseca.[1] In 2014, he moved to Liverpool as development coach under Brendan Rodgers and later continued with Jürgen Klopp as assistant coach, as well as first team trainer with Klopp.[2]

On 2 January 2018, Lijnders accepted the managerial job at NEC in the Dutch Eerste Divisie.[3] He signed a contract of one year and a half.[4] On 17 May 2018, Lijnders was sacked after NEC failed to gain promotion to the Eredivisie in the promotion play-offs.[5]

Lijnders returned to the Liverpool coaching staff on 5 June 2018.[6] He was part of the coaching staff that helped Liverpool to their sixth UEFA Champions League win on 1 June 2019 and their 19th league title win in the 2019–20 season.

In 2022, Lijnders published his first book, Intensity: Our Identity, an inside account of Liverpool's 2021–22 season.[7] Later that year, with the club struggling for form the following season, Lijnders was forced to defend himself against accusations that his book had "exposed" Liverpool's secrets.[8][9]

On 26 January 2024, it was announced that, along with Jürgen Klopp, he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.[10] Lijnders was expected to pursue his own managerial career when he leaves.[11]

On 15 May 2024, Lijnders signed on as the new Red Bull Salzburg manager with a contract valid until June 2027.[12] Lijnders demoted Austria's national team goalie Alexander Schlager as substitute a, fielding Leipzig loan Janis Blaswich. Blaswich received 12 goals in Sazburg's first three Champions League games.[13]

Managerial statistics

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As of match played 10 November 2024
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
NEC 3 January 2018 17 May 2018 22 11 4 7 39 29 +10 050.00
Red Bull Salzburg 1 July 2024 Present 21 11 5 5 39 27 +12 052.38
Career total 43 22 9 12 78 56 +22 051.16

References

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  1. ^ "Liverpool's Pepijn Lijnders is a big deal". 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Pepijn Lijnders leaves Liverpool to take charge at NEC Nijmegen". ESPN. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Pepijn Lijnders nieuwe hoofdtrainer N.E.C." nec-nijmegen.nl. 2 January 2018. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Liverpool-assistent Lijnders nieuwe hoofdtrainer NEC". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 2 January 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Lijnders na half jaar alweer op straat gezet door NEC". nos.nl. 17 May 2018.
  6. ^ "Pep Lijnders rejoins LFC coaching staff". Liverpool FC. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Pep Lijnders to release new book on Liverpool's 2021/22 season with Jurgen Klopp insight promised". Liverpool Echo. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Pep Lijnders responds to criticism of his book and suggestion Liverpool 'secrets' were exposed". Liverpool Echo. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  9. ^ "Pepijn Lijnders insists his book has not given "inside information" to rivals". This is Anfield. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  10. ^ Gorst, Paul (26 January 2024). "Jorg Schmadtke and Pep Lijnders both leaving Liverpool as backroom staff exit after Jurgen Klopp". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  11. ^ Squires, Theo (1 February 2024). "Pep Lijnders explains decision to leave Liverpool and hints at why other coaches are departing". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  12. ^ "New coach comes from Liverpool". Red Bull Salzburg. 15 May 2024.
  13. ^ red, ORF at/Agenturen (11 October 2024). "Fußball: Schlager wirbt für Salzburg-Comeback". sport.ORF.at (in German). Retrieved 11 October 2024.
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