Jurgen Klopp’s former No2 Pepijn Lijnders has joined Pep Guardiola’s coaching set-up at Manchester City.
Lijnders arrives at the Etihad Stadium armed with elite coaching experience in the Premier League and around Europe.
The 42-year-old will act as Guardiola’s assistant coach, while James French has also joined as set-piece coach.
The club announced on Tuesday that both have been appointed ahead of the forthcoming 2025-26 campaign and will travel to the Club World Cup.
In that statement, City’s Director of Football, Hugo Viana, said: “We are all delighted that Pepijn and James have joined our senior coaching set-up.
“Pepijn and James have each amassed huge experience working in their individual roles over the past few years.
“Their talent, application, work ethic and all-round commitment are totally aligned with the values that underpin how Pep wants football to be played.
“And I have no doubt at all that both will prove to be very important assets for Pep and his coaching team as we prepare for the Club World Cup and then the 2025/26 season.”
‘Two Premier League winners’ - what about Pepijn and French make them such good appointments?
Both appointments are key for City given their upcoming Club World Cup in America and a season where Guardiola needs to challenge for titles once again.
Last season was the first time since 2017 that Guardiola failed to win silverware but the appointment of Lijnders and French, alongside recent signings, will bolster their chances of success.
Lijnders started working in PSV Eindhoven’s youth set-up before taking up a similar role with Porto.
He joined Liverpool in 2014 and was a part of Klopp’s illustrious time at Anfield, winning a Champions League and Premier League tite.
French too was another key part in Liverpool’s success and worked for over a decade on Merseyside as their first team opposition analyst after starting out at Swansea and the FA of Wales.
Both Lijnders and French know how good success tastes and will inevitably strive for much more at City and, with the onset of plenty of talent, that success is almost guaranteed with a new and improved backroom set-up.