Guardiola's Call, Klopp's Shadow: Lijnders Explains His Move to Manchester City

Background: A decision shaped by a single call

Pep Lijnders, the assistant coach at Manchester City, says he decided to join the club during the first call with manager Pep Guardiola last year. He arrived in Manchester last summer after a long spell with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, but he did not hesitate to accept the offer as soon as Guardiola contacted him, despite the historic rivalry between City and Liverpool for Premier League titles in recent years.

Trust, vision, and a new era

Lijnders, who spoke at Friday's press conference on behalf of Guardiola, rejected doubts about taking the job because of his previous links with Liverpool, saying: "Of course not, Guardiola called me and told me what he wanted to do with the team with me there."

He added: "The trust Guardiola showed before we even started talking about implementation made the decision much easier. I’m really proud to join a club of this size, which has achieved so much in the last decade, with a manager who defined a new way of playing football."

Lijnders continued: "When I spoke with Jurgen about working as Guardiola's assistant, he told me (If you don't take this job, I will!)."

City's evolution and the road ahead

In context, Lijnders pointed to the big changes in Manchester City's squad across the three most recent transfer windows, praising the team's development. "From my experience in football, and going through this process with Liverpool as well, the hardest thing is refreshing a squad that has achieved huge success and won trophy after trophy."

He wrapped up by looking at the club's future strategy: "The rebuilding process always has its fluctuations, especially with the high expectations here, but I see we are on the right track. We have the smallest squad in the Champions League, and we have relied on seven players under 22 in the competition, which is great for the future. Those young players must build alongside Rodri, Bernardo, Ruben Dias, John Stones, and the rest of the core to create something new, and we are doing everything we can to achieve that."

Punchline 1: If Pep calls, say yes—it's cheaper than therapy and often comes with a trophy.
Punchline 2: Klopp warned me, but in Manchester the rain is basically champagne waiting to happen.