BIRKENHEAD, ENGLAND - Thursday, July 11, 2019: Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp (C) with first-team development coach Pepijn Lijnders (L) and assistant manager Peter Krawietz (R) before a pre-season friendly match between Tranmere Rovers FC and Liverpool FC at Prenton Park. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool set to add FC Porto coach to backroom team

Liverpool are reportedly set to make a new addition to their coaching staff, with Vitor Matos joining the Reds from FC Porto.

Matos is set to take up a role described in the Portuguese media as being “responsible for the development training of the club’s elite players, a cross-sectional project for team A and team B.”

That, we assume is Pepijn Lijnders‘ old role of first-team development coach, acting as a bridge between the club’s academy and first-team squads.

Lijnders, who took Tuesday’s pre-match press conference at Melwood, is now Jurgen Klopp‘s assistant manager.

Matos, who is fluent in Spanish and English, worked with Lijnders at Porto, having been appointed as their under-15s coach in 2011/12.

He is currently Porto B’s assistant coach, having spent a short spell as under-16s coach and Youth Team Technical Director at Chinese club Shandong Luneng Taishan last season.

Before that he was FC Porto’s B team opposition scout, having filled numerous roles at the Portuguese club.

He holds the UEFA Elite Youth A License qualification and has a Masters in physical education.

It’s reported that he will arrive in England on Thursday to begin his new role.