Pep Lijnders looks set to land on his feet after leaving Liverpool later this year.
Lijnders will depart Anfield along with Jurgen Klopp after almost a decade of service to the club. Having been deployed in various roles – even leaving for a short spell as a head coach in the Netherlands – the 41-year-old has flourished as an assistant manager.
Well loved and respected by Liverpool’s squad, there had even been calls for Lijnders to succeed Klopp as manager, despite his inexperience.
However, that is not going to happen. Instead, the Dutch coach is seemingly being considered for the top job at Ajax. Click here to find out which of Klopp’s backroom staff Lijnders is likely to take with him to Amsterdam.
It isn’t a done deal yet though, and as he often does, journalist Fabrizio Romano has today weighed in with some background information.
How the football world views Pep Lijnders
As No.2 at one of the most impressive teams of the past decade, it’s no surprise to hear that Lijnders is being lined up for a head coach position.
It will be a big jump for him to go from second in command at Liverpool to the main man at Ajax. The Dutch giants aren’t in a good place right now and the scrutiny on them is massive.
Of course, Lijnders will be no stranger to that, but this time he won’t have Klopp to absorb most of the pressure. It could be make or break for him.
According to Romano though, the feeling from across Europe is that Pep is ready to take on the challenge .
“Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders has emerged as one of the candidates to be the new Ajax manager for next season,” the journalist says in his Daily Briefing today. “Lijnders is under consideration at the club, but still waiting on a decision. For sure, he will be leaving Liverpool alongside Jurgen Klopp – he’s not staying on beyond the end of this season.
“Lijnders is really appreciated around Europe as people believe he’s an excellent assistant and could become a very good head coach. Ajax have included his name in a shortlist for next season, but he’s not the only one.”
Fernando Torres praises Pep Lijnders
Given that he’s Liverpool’s No.2 and the focus is on Klopp instead, maybe we as Reds supporters don’t realise quite how highly rated Lijnders is.
Fernando Torres – a young, up-and-coming manager himself – took time out to lavish praise on the assistant during his recent appearance for LFC Legends.
“Jurgen Klopp, Pep Lijnders and Vitor Matos. What they are doing in the club is amazing,” raved Torres. “I love what they do. I read that book Intensity that Pep Lijnders wrote just to try to get more information about the daily and it’s nice to be in contact with all of them because I’m learning a lot.”
The football world are obviously keen to see what Pep can do as a manager. And although we’re gutted to lose him, we have to say that we are, too.