Pep Ljinders set to land new job weeks after Premier League exit

talkSPORT understands there is an agreement in principle between Jurgen Klopp and Germany, with Pepijn Lijnders joining as an assistant.

Germany‘s backroom staff is set for a major overhaul, with Klopp’s trusted right-hand man signing a contract until the 2030 World Cup, should the nation qualify.

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Peter Krawietz and Lijnders worked closely with Klopp during their highly successful time with the Merseyside-outfit, which included Premier League and Champions League-winning campaigns.

They will replace Julian Nagelsmann‘s outgoing assistants Benjamin Hubner, Benjamin Gluck, Alfred Schreuder and Bram Geers.

Talks to secure Klopp’s signature are ongoing in New York, with the Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff also expected to fly there for meetings.

This comes as the ex-Dortmund boss currently serves as the Head of Global Soccer for the company, under a contract stretching until 2029.

While there was no formal release clause in his current deal, an ‘exit agreement’ existed, which allowed him to explore the national team vacancy.

The DFB and Red Bull are currently discussing an arrangement that would allow Klopp to take charge of both roles.

The German Football Association (DFB) stated the following regarding the talks with the 59-year-old:

“DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and DFB Vice President Hans-Joachim Watzke held their first in-depth talks with Jürgen Klopp yesterday in New York regarding his potential appointment as national team coach.

“During the constructive exchange, an agreement was reached on the key points of a potential contract.

“Talks will continue next week. Both sides are confident that the negotiations – subject to an agreement with Klopp’s current employer, Red Bull – can ultimately be successfully concluded.

AFP

“Any potential contract must be finalized in a joint meeting of the supervisory board and shareholders’ meeting of DFB GmbH & Co. KG.”

Following Klopp’s departure from Liverpool in 2024, Lijnders took on roles at RB Salzburg and subsequently spent time alongside Pep Guardiola during his final season at Manchester City.

The Dutch coach played a massive role in the Premier League for years and helped secure multiple trophies while working with some of the best players in the world.

Guardiola discussed what Lijnders’ impact on Man City was, stating: “I had a lot of info from other people about him, from those who had been training and managing with him in Liverpool.

“I needed to refresh myself first and with people with incredible knowledge about the game and the Premier League and I love a lot of the many things he did with Jurgen at Liverpool.

“We connected immediately and I am incredibly lucky from day one as a manager that all the staff are with us, and Pep is one of them.”

“He’s helped with methodology, training sessions, and our vision of a part of the game, giving us the freedom to say, ‘I should do this, we should do that’, and continually talking about what could be better with the players, if they play in that system or the other one.

“That is the funny part of our game; imagining what can we do, what is going to happen and confronting it with opinions from people that you truly believe in; they are incredibly well prepared for that business.

However, the Dutchman immediately left the Manchester-based outfit following the departure of Guardiola, after only one season.

Once confirmed, Germany’s first match under their new coaching team will be away to the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League on September 24.

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