Jurgen Klopp is the man responsible for bringing the glory days back to Liverpool, but he wouldn’t have got there without the excellent group of staff he has around him.
Since arriving in 2015, Klopp has more or less completely revamped his backroom team, welcoming some highly qualified professionals specialising in coaching, physio, nutrition and more.
The boss is always quick to praise his coaching team and highlight their work, surrounding himself with people whose input he values and takes on board.
So who are the unsung heroes behind Liverpool’s recent success?
Peter Krawietz – Assistant manager
Krawietz is Klopp’s longest-serving lieutenant, working alongside the manager since their time at Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund.
The Liverpool boss famously nicknamed Krawietz ‘The Eye’, such is his attention to detail. Lots of his work is done behind the scenes, focused on analysis, scouting and set-pieces.
Pep Lijnders – Assistant manager
Klopp’s other right-hand man, and one he calls his “energiser.” The Dutchman initially arrived from Porto as under-16’s coach in 2014 but quickly worked his way up the ranks.
He became a key figure in Klopp’s backroom team, working closely with the players on the training pitch, but left to take up his first role in management with NEC Nijmegen in January 2018.
Things didn’t go to plan, and when Lijnders parted company with the Dutch club, the Reds moved quickly to bring him back to Merseyside, replacing Klopp’s former assistant Zeljko Buvac, who departed earlier that year.
When Klopp signed his new contract in April 2022, the boss praised Lijnders as being “probably the main reason for it” calling the likeable Dutchman “a real energiser.”
“I have been lucky enough to meet many, many people in football during my time in the game,” said Klopp. “And I don’t think I have ever met anyone with the energy and enthusiasm he has for this game.”
John Achterberg – First-team goalkeeping coach
Achterberg has been at Liverpool since 2009 and is the club’s longest-serving member of first-team staff.
The Dutchman takes the lead role working with Liverpool’s first-team goalkeepers and is highly valued by Klopp, who labelled him “a fantastic goalkeeper coach” when the former Tranmere player and coach brought up 10 years with the Reds in the summer of 2021.
- HOW LIVERPOOL CREATE ‘KEEPERS: Read our interview with John, here!
Jack Robinson – First-team assistant goalkeeping coach
Liverpool appointed Robinson to take up a new role assisting Achterberg in 2018.
He joined the club from the Football Association, where he spent two-and-a-half years, after spells with Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Leeds.
Robinson works closely with the club’s first-team goalkeepers, including some of the academy graduates.
Claudio Taffarel – Goalkeeping coach
‘Taffa’, as he’s known at the AXA Training Centre, joined Liverpool in December 2021, when the Reds decided to further boost their selection of goalkeeping coaches. The famous ex-Brazil ‘keeper shares his duties between the Reds and the Brazilian national team.
He was the idol of Liverpool’s No. 1 goalkeeper Alisson, with the pair working together for a number of years at international level.
Vitor Matos – Elite development coach
Matos, another former Porto coach, joined Liverpool in October 2019, taking up Lijnders’ former role as the bridge between the first team and the academy.
He keeps a close eye on Liverpool’s talent in the younger age groups, while also playing a prominent part in the creation of first-team training sessions.
Andreas Kornmayer – Head of fitness and conditioning
The German arrived at Liverpool from Bayern Munich – where he’d spent over 15 years – ahead of the 2016/17 season, Klopp’s first summer in charge.
Kornmayer has played a key role in all of the Reds’ success under Klopp, ensuring the players’ fitness does not drop below the high standards Klopp demands for his full-throttle style of football.
Dr Andreas Schlumberger – Head of recovery and performance
Schlumberger was appointed in a newly-created specialist role as head of recovery and performance in 2020.
The German previously worked with Klopp at Borussia Dortmund between 2011 and 2015, before roles with Bayern Munich, Borussia Monchengladbach and Schalke.
“If you would ask people in Germany, in this area – rehab, performance, recovery – he’s No. 1 in Germany,” Klopp said upon Schlumberger’s appointment.
Dr Jim Moxon – Club doctor
Moxon first joined the Reds as head of sports medicine and fitness at the academy in 2016, before taking up a role as first-team club doctor in 2020.
He played a vital role in the club’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and can often be seen treating players on the pitch during matches.
Lee Nobes – Head of Physiotherapy
Having spent 11 years with Man City, Nobes worked under the likes of Sven-Goran Eriksson, Mark Hughes, Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola before joining Liverpool in 2018.
Jersey-born Nobes heads up the physiotherapy department and regularly provides treatment for players before and after matches.
Dr Conall Murtagh – First-team fitness coach
After joining the academy in 2012, Murtagh took up first-team duties in 2017 and is a vital member of Klopp’s backroom team.
Murtagh was once a talented player of his own, representing Northern Ireland at all age groups up to under-21 level. He played professionally at Hearts, Wrexham and The New Saints and is often seen making up the numbers in training matches with the first-team squad!
Mona Nemmer – Head of nutrition
Nemmer arrived at Liverpool from Bayern Munich in 2016 and has since revolutionised the eating habits of the club’s players and staff. She works closely on meal plans with the first-team squad, receiving plenty of admiration in the process.
At the end of 2021, Nemmer released a book called A Taste of the Liverpool Way, offering supporters an insight into the type of dishes she serves up for players, as well as information on the benefits of nutrition in sport.
- TALKING KETCHUP & LIVERPOOL’S ‘MASTERCHEFS’: Read our interview with Mona, here!
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