Manchester City have confirmed the appointment of former Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders as part of a coaching overhaul led by Pep Guardiola.
City have also strengthened their staff by bringing in James French, the current Liverpool opposition analyst, to the Etihad.
Lijnders joins as assistant coach after being out of work since his dismissal as manager of Red Bull Salzburg just before Christmas, following a brief tenure of less than six months.
The Dutch coach spent nearly a decade at Liverpool, initially joining Brendan Rodgers’ backroom staff in 2014.
When Jurgen Klopp took over as manager in 2015, Lijnders remained a key figure.
He briefly left for a managerial role at Dutch side NEC Nijmegen in early 2018 but soon returned to Liverpool, where he played a vital role in the club’s trophy-laden run over the next six years.
He left Liverpool alongside Klopp in the summer of 2024.
Joining Lijnders at City is James French, who has been appointed set-piece coach.
French spent 13 years at Liverpool as the first-team opposition analyst and will now be part of City’s coaching team as they prepare for the upcoming and controversial FIFA Club World Cup.
City’s director of Football Hugo Viana said: “We are all delighted that Pepijn and James have joined our senior coaching set-up.
“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.”
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