Pep Guardiola has been handed a two-game touchline ban and will miss the FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool, with former Reds assistant Pep Lijnders set to take charge of Manchester City
Pepijn Lijnders, Manchester City assistant coach
Pep Lijnders will take charge against his former club in the FA Cup(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Pep Lijnders will take the reins at Manchester City in next month's FA Cup quarter-final against his former club Liverpool, as Pep Guardiola serves a touchline ban.
Former Reds assistant Lijnders - who worked alongside Jurgen Klopp in two stints at Anfield and contributed to the Reds' Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and two League Cup triumphs - made the contentious move to join City as Guardiola's assistant last summer after his tenure at Red Bull Salzburg was abruptly ended when he was dismissed in December 2024.
The Dutchman has rapidly become a trusted member of Guardiola's backroom team, and will now step into the manager's role against his former club when they clash in the FA Cup at the Etihad Stadium on the weekend of April 4.
Guardiola received his sixth booking of the season in City's 3-1 victory at Newcastle in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday night, and will now serve a two-match touchline ban. The City boss vehemently confronted fourth official Lewis Smith after Kieran Trippier had fouled Jeremy Doku at St James' Park.
New regulations introduced for this season stipulate that Premier League managers are suspended for one match when they receive three yellow cards, with six bookings ensuring a two-game ban.
The ban only applies to Premier League and FA Cup matches, which means Guardiola will be missing from the touchline for this weekend's trip to West Ham and the cup clash with Liverpool, but he'll be present in the dugout for the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal on March 22. He'll also be there for both legs of the Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid.
Following the booking at Newcastle, Guardiola stated: "I will tell you something - we have all the records in this country, all of them, despite everything. We have the record of the manager with the most yellow cards. I want all records and now I have it, two-game ban now and I will go on holidays the next two games.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MARCH 7: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City celebrates after the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Newcastle United and Manchester City on March 7, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola will serve a two-match touchline ban(Image: Richard Sellers/Allstar, Getty Images)
View 2 Images
"There are things after 10 years I cannot understand. Review the action. Of course I'm going to defend Doku and all my teams."
Lijnders dismissed the fuss over his switch to City before his first return to Anfield in the Premier League match last month, noting that Klopp had urged him to accept the position.
"When I spoke with Jurgen he was so clear, 'If you don't do it, I will take the assistant job'," Lijnders told BBC Sport. "You cannot put away 10 years of Liverpool that easily, but I'm really proud to come to a club of this magnitude, so successful over the last 10 years and with a manager that defined football."
Join our LFC WhatsApp community and get all the latest LFC news, views, transfer gossip and more, as it happens 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.