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Liverpool will be coming up against a very familiar face as it looks to defend the Premier League title next season.

Manchester City will be expected to be back in contention for the championship after a fallow season, and Pep Guardiola has a new ace up his sleeve after former Liverpool coach Pep Lijnders was confirmed as his new assistant.

Lijnders was of course a big part of the Reds’ success under Jurgen Klopp, having been the German’s assistant as Liverpool was crowned champion of Europe, the world and the Premier League in the space of just over a year.



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Lijnders, along with long-time Liverpool analyst James French, has already started in his new role ahead of this summer’s Club World Cup, having been out of a job since being fired by Red Bull Salzburg back in December.

Before making his return to the Premier League though, the former Liverpool coach made sure to put in some calls with those he worked alongside at Anfield.

According to The Athletic, Lijnders called Klopp to tell him he had decided to take the job at City, while also speaking to FSG president Mike Gordon, who wished him well and reassured him that their relationship wouldn’t change.

Not only that, but Lijnders also called Arne Slot “out of respect”.

The current Liverpool boss was in regular contact with Lijnders during his first season in charge at Anfield, with the pair’s friendship going back to Slot’s early days as a coach.

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Pep Lijnders called Arne Slot before taking the job as Pep Guardiola's new assistant.

“I met up with Pepijn Lijnders, the former assistant of Jurgen who sat in this office,” Slot said in an interview back in November when discussing his influences.

“I did my courses and all these kind of things but I learned the most when it comes to training exercises because of that meeting.

“We spoke about his ideas, my ideas and how to transmit them to the players.

It’s clear to see the respect Lijnders still has for Liverpool, and Slot in particular, with the former Reds coach paying tribute to the work done by his successor.

“What is happening now with Arne, doing the job he is doing… wow, it makes me really grateful,” Lijnders told the Daily Mail back in October
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