Manchester City: Pep Lijnders is Pep Guardiola’s new assistant

They helped Jurgen Klopp mastermind Liverpool’s Champions League and Premier League triumphs and go toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in one of the Premier League’s great rivalries.

Now after finishing without a trophy for the first time since 2017, Guardiola has recruited Pepijn Lijnders and James French to his backroom team as part of a rebuild at Etihad Stadium.

Lijnders, who was Klopp’s number two for the second half of his successful spell at Liverpool, has been confirmed as Guardiola’s new assistant manager.

French, who was a key member of Klopp’s backroom staff as opposition analyst, has been appointed City’s set-piece coach.

Their appointments follow the departures of three key coaches at the end of last season – including Guardiola’s first-team assistants Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez.

Lijnders, 42, left Liverpool at the same time as Klopp at the end of the 2023-24 season.

The Dutchman took over as manager of Red Bull Salzburg in May 2024 but departed the Austrian club within seven months after only 29 games in charge.

French was a performance analyst with the Football Association of Wales before joining Liverpool in July 2012.