At the same time that Jurgen Klopp announced his departure from Liverpool in January, his team of Lijnders, Vitor Matos and Peter Krawietz also announced his resignation from his position.
Lijnders was soon tipped as a candidate to succeed Klopp on Merseyside, but the 41-year-old was quick to rule out the possibility of taking on the more sensible task as he looked to advance his managerial career elsewhere.
Ajax and Besiktas were among the clubs reportedly interested in signing Lijnders, but the Dutchman signed a three-year contract with reigning Austrian Bundesliga champions Salzburg.
Lijnders, who succeeds Gerhard Struber, who was sacked in March, will join the Red Bull squad via Liverpool teammate Matos, who was also hired through Salzburg as an assistant to the 41-year-old.
“I’m proud of the new coach of FC Red Bull Salzburg and it’s a real privilege for me to be here. After PSV Eindhoven, FC Porto and Liverpool, I will be joining another wonderful club with a solid design and an even better team. . academy,” Lijnders said on the club’s website.
“All the clubs I’ve played for are remarkable clubs with a few specific things in common: a club mentality where attack is very important, a genuine confidence in winning the first trophies and, above all, clubs where the love for the game and the ambition to succeed are the basis of everything.
“Together with my assistant, Vitor Matos, we will do everything we can to help the club grow in an ever-changing world of football. My relatives have visited the city before and were captivated by its good looks and the friendliness of the people. ” This was the last vital step to sign for FC Red Bull Salzburg. “
Lijnders’ season in Salzburg will be his second job as head coach, having briefly left Liverpool midway through the 2017-18 season to take charge of NEC in their home Netherlands, winning 11 of his 22 games in charge.
With the Dutchman at the helm, NEC, then a second-division team, reached the promotion playoffs and were beaten 5-4 on aggregate by Emmen. Lijnders also worked as a youth coach at Porto and PSV Eindhoven.
Salzburg director Bernhard Seonbuchner spoke about Lijnders’ skills in the academy as the Liverpool assistant joins a club famous for training its young players.
“We found Pepijn Lijnders an ideal candidate for the position of coach of FC Red Bull Salzburg. He is a true football expert and has had a huge influence on an era of success for Liverpool thanks to his qualities in player development,” Seonbuchner added.
“The talks with him have been wonderfully fortunate and there has been a transparent agreement on how we should play, who we are as a club and where we need to go together. We’re looking forward to spending time with him, but we’ll do everything in our power to complete the current season. “
Red Bull Salzburg have been crowned Austrian champions in each of the last 10 seasons but are two distances behind Sturm Graz at the top of the 2023-24 standings with just one game remaining.
However, Die Roten Bullen are confident of at least one position in the third standings of the 2024-25 Champions League and will close their season at home against LASK Linz on Sunday afternoon.