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Manchester City appointed Pepijn Lijnders as assistant coach and James French as set-piece coach. Both bring with them extensive Premier League experience.
Pepijn Lijnders will be assisting Pep Guardiola in his bid for Premier League title. (Picture Credits: AFP)
Manchester City have appointed Pepijn Lijnders as assistant coach, while James French has joined as set-piece coach, enhancing Pep Guardiola’s first-team coaching staff.
Lijnders arrives at the Etihad with substantial elite-level coaching experience in both the Premier League and Europe. The 42-year-old Dutch native began his coaching career in 2002 at PSV Eindhoven’s youth set-up before moving to a similar role at FC Porto in Portugal.
In 2014, Lijnders transitioned to England, joining Liverpool initially as part of Brendan Rodgers’ team, and later working under Jurgen Klopp after his appointment as Anfield manager in 2015. Early in 2018, Lijnders briefly managed Dutch side NEC before returning to Liverpool later that year.
Lijnders left Anfield with Klopp in the summer of 2024 and subsequently became the manager of RB Salzburg, where he spent six months leading the Austrian team, before being sacked.
Meanwhile, James has moved to City from Liverpool to take on the crucial role of set-piece coach, bringing with him significant Premier League experience. He began his career at Swansea and the FA of Wales before joining Liverpool’s backroom team in 2012. Over the next decade at Anfield, French worked as the first team opposition analyst.
Director of Football Hugo Viana commented on the appointments, saying, “We are all delighted that Pepijn and James have joined our senior coaching set-up. Pepijn and James have each amassed huge experience working in their individual roles over the past few years. Their talent, application, work ethic, and all-round commitment are totally aligned with the values that underpin how Pep wants football to be played.
“And I have no doubt at all that both will prove to be very important assets for Pep and his coaching team as we prepare for the Club World Cup and then the 2025/26 season.”
(with IANS inputs)
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Manchester, England (UK)
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