Borussia Dortmund complete signing of Jobe Bellingham as midfielder aims to follow in brother's footstepsManchester City has brought on board two former Liverpool coaches to join Pep Guardiola's staff—Pep Lijnders and James French. Lijnders, who had been Jurgen Klopp’s right-hand man during his two stints at Anfield, wrapped up his time there after the 2023/24 season. Meanwhile, French spent over ten years with Liverpool, focusing on opposition analysis.
Last season was a rough one for City. They got knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid in the knockout round and then suffered a loss to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final just last month. To strengthen their squad, they’ve signed Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves and are in talks to bring in Rayan Cherki from Lyon and Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan. Adding Lijnders and French to the mix should definitely have a positive effect.
Hugo Viana, City’s director of football, expressed excitement about the new hires: "We’re really pleased that Pepijn and James have joined our senior coaching team. Both bring a wealth of experience from their previous roles."
Lijnders was part of Klopp’s crew when Liverpool clinched the Champions League in 2019 and followed that up with their first Premier League title the next season. After leaving Liverpool alongside Klopp last summer, he took the reins at Red Bull Salzburg for the 2024/25 season but was let go in December after just 29 games.
As for French, he joined Liverpool back in 2012 and dedicated over a decade to the club as an opposition analyst.
Now, with Lijnders stepping in, he’s looking to fill some of the gaps in City’s coaching staff. He comes with a solid track record and loads of experience at the highest levels of coaching. This is actually his first assistant manager gig since leaving Liverpool, and he’s expected to fit right in with City’s style of play and their ambitions to bounce back from a lackluster campaign without silverware.
French will be focusing on the small details, ensuring that City can squeeze out every little advantage tactically—something they seemed to miss as they fell off in the title race last season.
Viana reiterated the excitement around the new hires, stating, "Their talent, dedication, work ethic, and commitment align perfectly with Pep’s vision for how we want to play football."
Overall, Lijnders and French are both coming in with impressive backgrounds. Lijnders was a vital part of the coaching team that helped Liverpool win their sixth Champions League title and their first Premier League title. After his brief stint in Austria, he’s now looking to make an impact at Manchester City.
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After leaving Liverpool alongside Klopp last summer, he took the reins at Red Bull Salzburg for the 2024/25 season but was let go in December after just 29 games.
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