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41-y/o coach told Klopp ‘no’ three times to becoming next Liverpool manager

Originally posted on Empire of the Kop
By Farrell Keeling | Last updated 5/24/24

Pep Lijnders has admitted he had been asked multiple times already about taking over the Liverpool job.

Jurgen Klopp, intriguingly, had asked his assistant coach about the possibility on three separate occasions across the last two seasons.

“Jurgen asked me about it a few times in recent years. The season before I got the question from Jurgen and two times this season, but each time I said ‘no’,” the Dutchman told James Pearce at The Athletic.

The former NEC boss is now set to take over at RB Salzburg following the Reds’ third-place finish in the Premier League.

Pep Lijnders could take over at Liverpool another time!

At 41 years of age, Pep Lijnders’ managerial future lays out long ahead of him.

The ex-FC Porto coach will no doubt be a roaring success in Austria having built up a reputation working alongside a generational head coach in Jurgen Klopp.

It’s worth pointing out that he was hardly a simple supporting act either to our beloved German tactician.

The 56-year-old credited Lijnders with leading coaching sessions and pushing for major tactical innovations (like moving Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield).

Perhaps one day – hopefully after a long and silverware-filled relationship with Arne Slot – he could return to Anfield and fulfill Klopp’s wishes!

This article first appeared on Empire of the Kop and was syndicated with permission.

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