The former Liverpool manager is set to reunite with his old assistant coach who helped him take the Reds to the very top.
Do you think Jürgen Klopp would be a success as Germany boss?
Germany is in the process of appointing former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp as their next head coach. This comes after the departure of Julian Nagelsmann.
Reports have suggested that Klopp is extremely keen on the opportunity, with Fabrizio Romano announcing a ‘here we go’ for the move. He has the chance to reunite with his back-room staff, including Pep Lijnders, and succeed in Germany.
Could Liverpool’s iconic coaching staff be working together again?
Why Lijnders Could Return Alongside Klopp
Jürgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders created history together at Liverpool. Lijnders joined first in 2014 under Brendan Rodgers before Klopp joined the following year.
Within five years they had won the Champions League, Premier League, and whole host of other trophies.
It has been said that Pep Lijnders used to be the brain behind Jürgen Klopp’s training sessions. They had similar visions, with their footballing identity being around intensity.
Since leaving Liverpool in 2024, Pep Lijnders took charge of Red Bull Salzburg where he was sacked after just seven months. He then joined Manchester City to become Pep Guardiola’s assistant.
Lijnders highlighted in an interview that he spoke with Jurgen Klopp for his approval on the move given the history between Liverpool and Manchester City’s recent rivalry.
“When I spoke with Jürgen, he was so clear - 'if you don't do it, I will take the assistant job’.”
How could Germany benefit from Pep Lijnders?
The combination of Jürgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders has proven to be elite. Lijnders clearly excels in an assistant coach role, as proven even further by his recent successes with Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.
Knockout football is everything you associate with Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders. It’s heavy-metal and intense, something that helps achieve success in tournament football.
During their time at Liverpool, they reached three UEFA Champions League finals, one UEFA Europa League final, one FA Cup final, and three League Cup finals.
Could Pep Lijnders and Klopp actually reunite?
Everything points to yes in this moment. Jürgen Klopp is the clear standout replacement for Nagelsmann, and naturally he’d want someone by his side he trusts.
Sam Wallace reports that Pep Lijnders is ‘keen’ to join the back-room staff, should Klopp take over the Germans. Klopp himself has spoken about his willingness to take on the role:
“I'm more than recharged now. So I'm ready. It's a very, very attractive task, a very important task. I can't help but say that it does interest me.”
Author’s verdict
A reunion between Jürgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders should excite Germans. This is one of the best coaching duos in footballing history.
The pair created a brand of football that struck fear into opponents weeks before a match had even taken place. Pep Guardiola reiterated to his coaching staff how scared he was to face Liverpool’s deadly front three back in 2018.
This was before the entire trio went on to score in their Champions League clashes against Manchester City, winning 5-1 on aggregate.
Some Liverpool fans won’t be too happy with Pep Lijnders given his decision to join rivals Manchester City. He dug himself a further hole with some extremely enthusiastic celebrations as the Manchester club were victorious on all three occasions over Liverpool during the 25/26 season.
However, the Germans won’t care one bit. They’d be more interested in seeing some exciting football that was clearly missing from their last tournament.
