Man City confirm Pep Lijnders, James French arrivals as Hugo Viana heaps praise on Liverpool title winners

Manchester City have confirmed the appointment of former Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders to Pep Guardiola’s first team coaching set-up.

The 42-year-old arrives at the Etihad Stadium with an extensive elite level of coaching experience, most notably spending nine years across two spells at Anfield working as Jurgen Klopp’s right-hand man at Liverpool.

Lijnders won a total of eight trophies during his time on Merseyside, becoming a Champions League winner in 2019 before helping the Reds end their 30-year wait for a Premier League title in 2020.

The Dutchman has been out of work since the end of December last year when he was sacked as head coach of Red Bull Salzburg after only six months in charge of the Austrian giants, while he also experienced a brief spell as manager of NEC Nijmegen in 2018.

Lijnders, labelled an “influential" and "exceptional" figure at Liverpool by Klopp, has now been appointed assistant coach at Man City and joins the club along with James French, who has be named their new set-piece coach.

Lijnders, French join Man City ahead of Club World Cup

French is another who boasts extensive Premier League experience having spent more than a decade as a first-team opposition analyst at Liverpool, working with a team that lifted nine trophies during his time at Anfield. 

He joined Liverpool in 2012 after starting his career working in roles at Swansea City and then with the Football Association of Wales.

“We are all delighted that Pepijn and James have joined our senior coaching set-up,” Man City’s director of football Hugo Viana told the club’s official website.

“Pepijn and James have each amassed huge experience working in their individual roles over the past few years.

“Their talent, application, work ethic and all-round commitment are totally aligned with the values that underpin how Pep wants football to be played.

“And I have no doubt at all that both will prove to be very important assets for Pep and his coaching team as we prepare for the Club World Cup and then the 2025-26 season.”

The arrival of both Lijnders and French comes as part of a coaching reshuffle by Guardiola, who has seen Juanma Lillo, Inigo Dominguez and Carlos Vicens depart the club.

While both Lillo and Dominguez will leave City upon the expiration of their contracts this summer, Vicens has agreed to become the head coach of Portuguese side Braga.

Written by
Oliver Thomas