Pep Lijnders has joined Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff and the Man City boss has revealed he asked for Jurgen Klopp‘s permission to approach the Dutchman.
Lijnders has already started his role as Guardiola’s assistant, joining Man City for their Club World Cup campaign in the United States.
The Dutchman’s appointment was met with mixed views from a Liverpool perspective having previously claimed he would “not assist anyone else” but Klopp.
He is now back in the Premier League, though, and his targets work in direct opposition to Liverpool’s bid to win trophies – but Lijnders received the club and Klopp’s backing.
Guardiola was claimed to have spoken to Klopp before making an approach and the Spaniard has now confirmed a conversation did take place with the former Reds boss.
“We had a conversation with Jurgen, but not about Pep Lijnders,” Guardiola started.
“We just talked on another subject, as always we had a long conversation, and in a certain moment I suggested I was thinking about Pep and he gave his opinion.
“It was of course so high, he was his right-hand in one of the most successful periods of Liverpool in their last years.
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“Then after I took the time to decide, to reflect I then decided to get in touch with Pep.
“Of course, he was in Salzburg and had experience with Liverpool for many years, I asked permission from Jurgen, of course, because I didn’t want to interfere much.
“I said to him ‘Would it be a problem to talk to him?’ and he said absolutely not.
“We talked a bit then and in one or two days we decided, ‘let’s try’.
“I’m fortunate, the assistant managers I had in my career, since Barcelona, Bayern, and here I’ve had a lot, wow everyone helped me incredibly.”
The deal Lijnders has agreed with Man City is for an initial year, with an option to extend that by a further 12 months.
The 42-year-old still has ambitions to be a head coach, despite the way his latest solo venture at Salzburg ended.
With the fixtures for the 2025/26 Premier League season now released, we know a reunion with Lijnders will first be at the Etihad on November 8 before the Anfield clash on February 7.
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