NOS Football•
Burns, that’s what Pepijn Lijnders wanted to talk about. The 42-year-old Limburger can talk endlessly – and at an incredible pace – about football, but Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City also likes to talk in an extensive interview about what has shaped him as a person.
“When I was two years old, I poured boiling tea water over myself,” says Lijnders at City’s training complex. “I was extremely lucky that it didn’t go over my face, but about 30 percent of my body is covered in burns.”
“I was looked at a lot as a child. If you used to take a shower after gym, or if you went to the swimming pool… You are not the same as the rest. That has shaped me so much as a person. Now I am very happy that it happened to me, because it has made me the person I am.”
Trip for kids to Liverpool
Lijnders has been working at Manchester City since last summer, but before that he was the assistant to success coach Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool for seasons. He worked with world stars such as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mané, won the Champions League and became national champions. And in the meantime he remained very committed to children with burns.
“The Peter Pan Foundation organizes trips for children with various diseases. They have done this twice for children with burns, so I said: come to Liverpool, bring twenty children, I will pay for everything. Competition, dinner. We organized that then and that was one of the most beautiful experiences I have had.”
At Liverpool, Lijnders also worked with Diogo Jota, the Portuguese attacker who died in an accident together with his brother André last summer. Lijnders knew both well, he trained André in the youth ranks at FC Porto.
“I was in the car, on the highway towards Venlo. Guardiola called me and said: Diogo died… I immediately pulled the car over. I think I stood there with my wife for ten minutes because we just couldn’t understand it. Those boys had their whole lives ahead of them. Then time stands still for a few days.”
Lijnders flew to Portugal for the funeral, where he saw not only the family of both brothers, but also many Liverpool players with whom Diogo Jota played. “Let’s remember what a great character that boy had. So smart, quick-witted. Let’s make sure he is part of the club and its history forever. And when he looks at us from above, he is proud of how we handle everything.”
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Pepijn Lijnders next to Guardiola on the bench at Manchester City -
Jürgen Klopp and Pepijn Lijnders after winning the Carabao Cup in 2024
A special bond developed between assistant Lijnders and head coach Klopp during the many years of collaboration, which, according to the German, went further than just football. Klopp repeats this again in a special video message for Lijnders.
“Pep, my friend, they gave me a minute, but that’s never enough,” the German laughs, showing his characteristic pearly white teeth. “I can’t tell you enough how much I respect and appreciate you as a friend and colleague. You are the best trainer I have ever worked with.”
Lijnders gratefully accepts the compliments. “He knows me better than anyone,” he says of Klopp. “We have had the darkest days and the best days together. I don’t think you often create a relationship in the work field in which you know exactly what you think of each other.”
Klopp addresses Lijnders: ‘You are the best trainer I ever worked with’
Finally, Lijnders expresses the ambition to once again stand on his own two feet. He tried as head coach at NEC and RB Salzburg, but in both cases it was a short and unsuccessful employment. Yet he sees himself as ultimately responsible for the group in the future.
“Yes,” he shouts decisively. “I’m only 42, right? But right now I mainly want to win the Premier League and the Champions League with Manchester City.”
