Pep Lijnders, former assistant manager at Liverpool, has been dismissed from his position at RB Salzburg just seven months after taking the role. Lijnders, who joined the Austrian club alongside ex-Liverpool coach Vitor Matos following Jürgen Klopp’s exit from Anfield, was sacked with Salzburg trailing the league leaders by 10 points.
Despite a 3-0 victory over SK Austria Klagenfurt in their latest match, the club pointed to “unsatisfactory performances” as the main reason for their decision to part ways with Lijnders and Matos. At the time of his departure, Salzburg was in a disappointing position in the Austrian Bundesliga, having played only 16 matches under Lijnders’ leadership.
In his brief tenure, the 41-year-old Lijnders used his Liverpool ties to bring in notable signings, including the permanent transfer of promising youngster Bobby Clark and a loan for midfielder Stefan Bajčetić, both familiar from his time at Liverpool.
Lijnders’ dismissal is particularly significant as it coincides with Jürgen Klopp’s upcoming role at Red Bull as head of global soccer, starting in January. This change occurs just weeks before Klopp’s arrival, marking an important shift in the Red Bull organization.
In a joint statement, Salzburg CEO Stephan Reiter and Sporting Director Rouven Schröder explained the decision, citing a “planned review” of the season during the winter break. They concluded that the team’s performances had not met expectations and that a leadership change was necessary to inject new energy into the squad. While they had hoped for improvement under Lijnders, they felt a fresh approach was needed.
“We acknowledged that our performances in many games fell below expectations,” the statement read. “As a result, we believe the team needs new leadership to provide a fresh impulse, despite our hopes for improvement. We thank Pep for his dedication, passion, and contributions to our development.”
The statement also confirmed that Salzburg is actively searching for a new head coach, aiming to have one in place when training resumes on January 3, 2025. This decision underscores the club’s commitment to addressing its struggles and making a strong push in the second half of the season.
