.Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterOct 2, 2024, 05:30 AM ETClose u2022 Participated in ESPN in 2011 u2022 Covered pair of Olympics, a pair of Rugby Globe Cups and 2 British & Irish Lions excursions u2022 Formerly rugby publisher, and ended up being elderly author in 2018The walls of Pep Lijnders' garage in his brand-new Salzburg home are actually still bare.The unpacked cartons on the flooring consist of memories of his quest from coaching student at PSV to coming to be Ju00fcrgen Klopp's "equal partner" at Liverpool, as Klopp contacts it. There are framed images, tees and also match rounds from the numerous finals he helped the crew reach.But there is actually another memento he enjoys above all as it sums up what he is actually zealous regarding establishing young people, and also seeing them prosper on football's greatest stage. Close to among the complement spheres coming from the 2019 Champions Game final is a photo coming from the festivities after Liverpool's triumph. It is actually a photograph of Lijnders with Trent Alexander-Arnold on his spine. Alexander-Arnold mounted it and also inflicted him when Lijnders left Liverpool in addition to Klopp in May. The subtitle reads: "This is my favourite image people, too. Thank you for absolutely every little thing. Without you, none of it was actually achievable. Trent." Lijnders has actually received web pages as well as webpages of instruction treatments going back twenty years. His quest started in 2002 as young people instructor at PSV, in 2006 he moved to FC Porto, then in 2014 he resolved the Liverpool ranks to become a coach under Brendan Rodgers as well as Klopp, before he decided to try his own during a chastening spell as NEC Nijmegen supervisor in 2018. He came back to Liverpool 6 months later on along with fantastic effectiveness and also, as Klopp said to ESPN NL in August, Lijnders was actually the German's footballing "inspiration for the final nine years." Publisher's Picks2 RelatedLijnders is actually right now starting an additional adventure at FC Salzburg, wishing to direct impacts like Johan Cruyff, the dad of Dutch "Complete Football," Italian speculative and hvac Milan legend Arrigo Sacchi, as well as ex-Feyenoord manager Wiel Coerver while instilling his personal viewpoint as a "counter-pressing creature," as Klopp puts it. Yet this isn't Liverpool 2.0, as well as he is actually certainly not residing under Klopp's wing.The path coming from aide under a famous boss to supervisor in your own right is actually a well-trodden one. There are excellence stories: Mikel Arteta left Pep Guardiola's conservation in 2019 for the Arsenal project and also has done unbelievably well in a quick room of your time Josu00e9 Mourinho was assistant to Bobby Robson at Barcelona before bursting out on his very own to become one of the absolute most productive supervisors of perpetuity brand-new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca worked under Guardiola while the terrific Joe Fagan took what he gained from famous duo Bill Shankly and also Bob Paisley to guide Liverpool to silverware in the 1980s. Yet at that point there are the cautionary tales also: In 1998, Brian Kidd's tenure at Blackburn lasted 11 months after 7 trophy-laden years at Manchester United along with Mam Alex Ferguson John Carver prospered under Robson and Alan Pardew at Newcastle but flopped when he took charge as sitter in 2015. So, it's with that past of changability that Lijnders is actually going it alone at Salzburg. He desires his team to be understood for his plan of footballing "strength." But he will not be offered too long a grace period. His crew have actually created an assessed start-- gaining eight from 14 activities, yet shedding 4-0 to Brest in the Champions Organization on Tuesday-- and while it is actually a team renowned for young people development, the supporters anticipate results offered final season was their initial without cutlery for a many years." Our team are actually attempting to create a staff that can defeat anyone in world football," Lijnders told ESPN NL in August. "Are our team there however? No, absolutely not. But our team're on program." From Cruyff to KloppPep Lijnders aided Jurgen Klopp construct among the very best Liverpool staffs in the past history of the nightclub. ( Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC by means of Getty Images) Lijnders' playing profession as a ructious midfielder for local area amateur nightclub SVEB on the Dutch-German border was stopped at 17 years of ages due to an ACL accident. He visited the Central Institute for Sports Leader Training (CIOS) to study and also began working at PSV Eindhoven, getting the only training instruction available to pupils on the training course. As he handled his researches and his work at PSV, he also took charge of SVEB's books, where he first tried to execute his viewpoint: a mix of "Complete Soccer" (a liquid soccer unit encouraging positional interchangeability promoted by Cruyff) and unrelenting counter-pressing." I possessed the feeling players revitalized when I trained, which offers you self-confidence," he says.The instruction with PSV was suggested to become a five-year project, but he was rewarded a permanent agreement after 3 years, as well as devoted the following pair of years sweeping between the USA as well as the Netherlands with fellow coach Frans Hoek while creating abilities like Cody Gakpo as well as Jordan Teze. He learnt from the fabulous Guus Hiddink when he was actually PSV train from 2002 to 2006 and tells ESPN: "Guus provided colour to Dutch soccer in the method Ju00fcrgen offered colour to German soccer." In 2007, aged 24, Lijnders possessed rate of interest from MTK Budapest, yet used up a contract at FC Porto where he held on Vitor Frade's every word. Frade-- admired by Mourinho, Andru00e9 Villas-Boas, Robson and also a great number of others-- was actually an university teacher that was additionally assistant manager at Porto as well as the father of tactical periodisation (practically making use of instruction as a looking glass for match strength and also rhythm, rather than a segregated exercise). Lijnders remembers their military technologies at that time as well as breaks into a broad smile, referencing an airborne picture he has of one Carbon monoxide Adriaanse's setup where he released only wingers on the flanks as well as no full-backs. Back then it wasted his mind.In Portugal, Lijnders functioned to spearhead Porto's "Project 611," an umbrella phrase for the nightclub's plan to re-think the academy's connection along with the first string. "I taught all the teams-- U19 in the morning, U15 in the afternoon, and U12 as well as U11 in the evening," he states. "In some cases I would certainly possess 40 gamers, however I really did not speak a phrase of Portuguese." Even with that barrier, Porto prospered. The nightclub taken through abilities like Jou00e3o Fu00e9lix, Andru00e9 Gomes, Andru00e9 Silva, Fabio Vieira and Diogo Dalot. There was actually likewise midfielder Ru00faben Neves, a gamer who captained Lijnders' youth crews at Porto, functioned as translator, as well as an individual who Lijnders wrote that he "loves to littles" in his 2022 book "Intensity."" That's why I like football a great deal," Lijnders mentions. "The connection you build with the players. If that connection isn't there, there is actually no chance to effectiveness." He was actually seemed out through Rene Meulensteen in early 2013 as a possible enhancement to Ferguson's backroom team at Male United, however that collapsed when Ferguson resigned by the end of that time. And through mid-2014, Lijnders awaited a new obstacle. While analyzing for his UEFA coaching logos under the support of the Welsh FA, Lijnders had actually secured a youth coach openings at Liverpool project, so the nightclub sent U23 manager Michael Beale and also school supervisor Alex Inglethorpe to listen closely to some of his discussions. It got the job done: "Michael stated to me, 'Pepijn, you are actually not soaring back to Porto, you're featuring me to Liverpool.'" Some Of Pep Lijnders' most important skills was actually supporting and also determining academy skill before giving them a chance to rise via the positions. ( Photograph through Cees truck Hoogdalem/Soccrates/Getty Graphics) Lijnders flew to Liverpool that night, was actually installed in a hotel, and for 3 times they talked. It ended up along with Liverpool giving Lijnders a contract to organize the U16 and also U15s: a team that featured Rhian Brewster, Ben Woodburn, Caoimhu00edn Kelleher, Curtis Jones, and also, significantly, captain Alexander-Arnold. That summer season Lijnders was actually ensured to a job with the first team under Rodgers, however when the Northern Irishman was sacked on Oct. 4, 2005, Mike Gordon (head of state of the group's owners Fenway Athletics Group) talked to Lijnders to always keep Liverpool's training school Melwood beating over while they worked at Klopp. Naturally, when the German managed there were actually no promises he was actually heading to keep Lijnders. Several of Rodgers' team had actually left actually, however Gordon talked to the new manager to keep on a couple of trainers from the previous program. Klopp still possessed veto power, but levelled to the idea.The first was John Achtenberg. "Really good, given that I didn't possess a goalkeeping train," Klopp always remembers informing Gordon. He inquired his brand-new manager: "What performs the other individual perform?" Gordon mentioned Lijnders was a "technical train" an expert in tiding over between youth and first team." In Germany, nobody pays for a coach like that," Klopp tells ESPN. "They will point out, 'You desire a 2nd aide for what? What are you doing?' Thus, I liked the idea a whole lot." It was a luxurious to Klopp, yet he still didn't understand much concerning this youthful Dutch instructor. So on his first night at the nightclub, the new-look Liverpool control got to know for dinner in the Chance Street Accommodation. Klopp had his counted on staff Zeljko Buvac as well as Peter Krawietz certainly there along with him, yet he intended to understand the new faces. Achtenberg sat to one side of him Lijnders to the various other. "It was essentially adore at first sight," Klopp mentions of Lijnders. "I viewed his interest for everything." Klopp additionally saw just how much Lijnders respected him. "I do not view on my own as an awesome trainer," he states. "I know some individuals by chance think that, and also you could view it in Pep's eyes. You can observe him assume, 'I much better listen closely.' That's just how it started. By the end, our experts were actually identical companions." play1:40 Michallik: Slot making Liverpool's post-Klopp transition painlessJanusz Michallik says the greatest praise you may pay Arne Port is that he's quit experts referring to lifestyle after Jurgen Klopp.Blossoming at AnfieldLijnders' very first part under Klopp was actually as best advancement train. He adores flipcharts as well as each part of his military eyesight was actually jotted down on these substantial pieces of paper. Klopp keeps in mind those very early appointments, as well as just how whenever he would certainly talk, he would certainly hear Lijnders' marker scribbling away, writing whatever he said.At this stage, Klopp phoned Buvac the "human brain" and Krawietz the "eye." Talking in 2017 to LFC TELEVISION, Klopp claimed: "Pep has come to be amazingly crucial quickly because he composes every thing down. He is likewise component of 'the brain' since he is our thoughts to keep in mind the important things what our experts carried out in previous treatments ... I got the Dutch coach that was actually resisted to things! Dutch soccer is actually possession-based: it is actually Complete Soccer, Cruyff. But he was a counter-pressing monster. I adored his enjoyment and the technique he avoids the seat when he speaks about soccer." Some of his best payments in that initial duration at Liverpool was available in pushing Klopp to give a number of the institute players a possibility in the first team, with Alexander-Arnold some of the initial advertised in 2016 at the grow older of 18." I could possibly compose a manual concerning the moment he to begin with informed me about Trent Alexander-Arnold," Klopp says to ESPN. "Our company opened the door Trent ran throughout it. His appropriate foot is actually preposterous. The Trent highlights video is preposterous. You do not need the goals, it's the successfully pases, you watch the passes and also believe 'Just how is that possible?' It's an entirely different sport." Lijnders additionally possessed a big impact in tiding over in between first team and academy. "I learnt from him," Klopp incorporates. "He opened my mind for various things in football. As all of us get older, the distance in between you as well as the grow older of the player group grows. My 2 kids maintained me in contact keeping that creation, however of course, the next generation of unparalleled trains are actually presently on the market. There is actually consistently alter, growth and also remodeling. Pep opened my eyes for those kinds of things.Pep Lijnders possessed a brief assignment at Dutch side NEC Nijmegen prior to returning Liverpool in 2018. ( Photo through Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC by means of Getty Images) Under Klopp, Lijnders took over much more duty: considering instruction and the schedule around fits. Off the pitch, the two routinely played padel and also ended up being astonishingly close friends.Liverpool finished 4th in 2016-17 but, midway via the following campaign, Lijnders was being actually seemed out about a head-coach placement of his very own back in the Netherlands. Interested to come back to his homeland to be with his papa as he fought cancer, the 34-year-old made a decision to take the top task at then-second division edge NEC Nijmegen on Jan. 2, 2018. His target was to protect promo back to the Eredivisie, yet it verified to become an untoward incantation as well as they dropped in the playoffs to FC Emmen. After over 5 months in the function, he left through shared agreement on Might 17." I have constantly taken total duty and certainly never pointed out a bad phrase about NEC," Lijnders mentions. "It is actually a lovely club, yet sometimes the time is actually not right. Occasionally there is no click on, or sometimes you sign up with a club where you need determination. However I take responsibility. I don't intend to say a lot of about it, due to the fact that every thing I say could possibly come across wrong. I discovered a whole lot to take right into my upcoming job." Back at Anfield, Buvac had actually moved on in April and also Klopp was looking for a brand new associate. Of course, he really wanted Lijnders back.One day, Lijnders resided in the yard along with his other half Danielle as well as mama when his phone rang. It was Klopp, as well as Danielle asked what the call had to do with. "He told me we are actually visiting overcome the planet," Lijnders told her.Just 19 times after he left NEC, Lijnders' consultation as Klopp's assistant supervisor was actually announced on June 5." All of us recognize there's a renowned saying: 'You can easily discover more from defeats than from constant triumph,'" Klopp points out. "I'm not sure it [Lijnders' opportunity at NEC] was actually an actual loss, yet it had not been properly prepared, I presume we can claim that. Our experts really did not talk a lot about it, it was actually not essential. I was actually merely glad he came back." A golden returnPep Lijnders and Jurgen Klopp pose with the FA Cup as well as the Carabao Mug trophy throughout the Liverpool procession on Might 29, 2022. ( Picture through Jan Kruger/Getty Images) Over the upcoming few years, Klopp as well as Lijnders would accomplish amazing results with each other at Liverpool. The glorious minute was actually the 2019 Champions League ultimate win over Tottenham Hotspur, however that was just some of a variety of trophies featuring the 2019-20 Premier Organization headline, 2022 FA Cup, 2019 Group Planet Cup, as well as 2022 and also 2024 Organization Cups.Lijnders sympathized all the vital minutes, both well-known as well as in the shades as they sketched their success. He was linguist on the call when Klopp was actually trying to encourage Porto winger Luis Du00edaz to sign up with the club in January 2022, as well as keeps in mind being in Klopp's kitchen space trying to exercise just how to urge centre-back Virgil vehicle Dijk to sign coming from Southampton in January 2018. Yet with all the joy as well as misfortunes, the job took its own toll. As well as prior to the 2023-24 period began, Klopp as well as Lijnders started to think about the finishing point." It was happening in the [2023] summer months, [with] a really tough year behind us," Lijnders points out of an initiative where the group finished 5th and also were knocked senseless of the Champions Game in the around of 16. "Our experts mored than happy our company succeeded the final eight, 9 activities of the time, we still visited Europe. Our experts transformed the system Trent went much more inside [to play as a midfielder]" In the summer our experts actually discussed if it was actually the right time to go, or even if it was actually the right time to carry on. Our company claimed 'yes, our experts'll perform one more year as well as our team'll view in January.' But through November-time, Ju00fcrgen said: 'I'm carried out.' As well as I mentioned, 'Yes if that's the case, it is actually opportunity for me to go too.' I've possessed numerous, great offers recently, but I would like to complete the venture with him. My hookup is very sturdy along with him: he's a bro, a papa, an advisor. Away from my loved ones and also closest good friends, he knows me far better than any individual." On May 19, 2024, Klopp took charge of Liverpool for the ultimate time as they beat Wolves 2-0. After being actually out on the pitch, soaking in the unfiltered worship, posing for many photographs, he found themself back in the innards of Anfield as well as there was an unusual moment of silent." We 'd had Louise Dobson, the group manager, telling our company where to go and also when, and also our experts were actually so touched [by the events]," he claims. "In the long run, it was only Pep and also me. Our experts possessed rips in our eyes. We knew our experts were honored too given that in our business, you come in through the frontal door as well as they press you out the back door. We were actually blessed and also our experts can walk out through the frontal door. We wrote a manual with each other and also was actually the last section. And our team appreciated that as much [as our team might] considering that you know it's certainly not for life. That's life." After a night partying, as well as, according to Klopp, the Lijnders loved ones dominating the dance flooring, attention turned to the future. Lijnders had actually actually been fielding interest from nightclubs keen to talk to him concerning anticipated opportunities, and he understood it was time for his loved ones to experience something brand new." You possess ten years in Liverpool, in Formby, a small town, you possess whatever certainly there, right?" he claims. "So my boys know nothing other than England, Liverpool and the nightclub. They presume every stadium is like Anfield." Lijnders just spoke to clubs who would certainly explore him personally in Formby, as well as each time he will seek certain warranties. However it was actually Austrian Bundesliga side FC Salzburg that attracted him. The group possessed survived a difficult 2023-24 initiative, which viewed then-manager Gerhard Struber sacked in April, and gained the regular period but completed second in the Championship Round to Sturm Graz to end their initial trophyless season in a decade.After a check out to Salzburg to explore the nightclub in person, Lijnders' better half Danielle counted on their youngest kid, Romijn, and talked to: "What do you think of Salzburg?" Romijn addressed: "I skip it currently." play1:34 Michallik: Arne Slot has actually made Luis Du00edaz a better playerESPN FC's Smudge Donaldson and also Janusz Michallik go over how Liverpool manager Arne Slot is getting the very best out of his team, specifically Luis Du00edaz, following their 3-0 gain Bournemouth.New beginningsOn Aug. 13, 2024, Salzburg beat FC Twente 5-4 on aggregate to receive the Champions Rank group stage. "Our experts desire to be actually the staff that can easily trump anyone worldwide," Lijnders points out. "Are our experts certainly there however? No, certainly certainly not ... our team've merely started. Yet I really want the supporters to believe, "alright, this is the new Salzburg."" Along with his counter-pressing ideology deeply inherent, Lijnders also wishes his Salzburg to drown the adversary. "You can easily play a prevalent style of football, where you can easily have the reception in the challenger's half a lot," he adds. "Our experts are young, our team excel, our experts has plenty of blowing. We do not really want the rival to have whenever. There is a lot ability listed below, so much power, a great deal youth. "We have a smaller sized squad, 16 or even 17 players, and that gives our team room for the academy." Along with a motto of "Fuu00dfball von morgen" [Soccer from tomorrow] and a history of world-class gamers like Erling Haaland, Sadio Manu00e9, Dominik Szoboszlai, Benjamin Sesko as well as Dayot Upamecano having actually come by means of the positions, the club's concentration is actually significantly on youth the oldest gamers in the squad are goalkeepers Janis Blaswich (33) and also Alexander Schlager (28 ), while the earliest outfield gamers are 25. Considering that Lijnders joined, Salzburg have actually raided his old nightclub to sign midfielders Stefan Bajcetic and also Bobby Clark on funding, while the new supervisor likewise took trainers Vitor Matos and Andreas Kornmayer along with him.The wild fellas from Salzburg u2764 pic.twitter.com/DrsXmSKwJ8u2014 FC Red Upward Salzburg (@RedBullSalzburg) August 27, 2024 The old Liverpool coaches still possess their WhatsApp team open it is actually referred to as the "Precious stone Dogs," encouraged by Apple television show Ted Lasso. When Salzburg play, the conversation is actually as active as ever, with Klopp maintaining a shut eye on just how Lijnders is actually making out." Everyone with a little bit of a regulation football eye can see his influence," Klopp says. "I adore this great mix of true magnitude, a crystal clear idea and also property. I informed him after a video game lately, you may see this group has a really good train. That is actually how I judge trains my whole lifestyle-- you watch the video games, and afterwards you ponder who trains them. They play properly. I presume it is actually a great deal for him at Salzburg. It's so intelligent from him, and also it's so intelligent coming from Salzburg." Salzburg's game period started along with 4 wins, a draw as well as a defeat, yet it has additionally viewed harmful losses to Sparta Prague (3-0) and Brest (4-0) in the Champions Game. He received some objection for handling crews versus Sparta and also Austria Wien with no Austrian gamers in the sequence, yet Lijnders understands there will be times when kind plunges and tension increases. He will definitely stick to his concepts which have offered him effectively until now." It is actually darker and also lonely when you do not gain, and when you get into such a duration, it could be darker, lonesome as well as awkward," he claims. "Yet when you're qualifying on the area, helping gamers enhance, I will certainly certainly never receive tired of that. In those moments you have to hang on to what makes you, as a gamer, as well as a coach." Every trainer will certainly go through challenging durations, however there is actually absolutely nothing incorrect with that. I recognize I enjoy with higher threat, but additionally higher benefit. That's who I am actually. There are actually pair of suits in regulation football. There is actually the suit on the scoreboard, as well as the second suit is your identity. You can shed one, however you'll certainly never drop the 2nd match." I wish you'll view Salzburg mashing and also chasing after the opponent all over the entire sound, and also coming from all paths. Yet above all, they are actually doing it all together, forever." Extra coverage: Sanne van Dongen and Milan van Dongen.