Former Liverpool assistant and briefly head coach of NEC, Pep Lijnders, has been sacked by Austrian club RB Salzburg. The former number two under Jürgen Klopp on Merseyside was appointed head coach of the successful Austrian side. However, after just six months Lijnders has been sacked by the club. The Dutch head coach had signed a deal with the Red Bull franchise club until 2027, but poor performances in Europe and domestically saw the board relinquish him of his duties.
This was Lijnders second foray into taking on a head coaching role. Between January 2018 and May 2018 he in charge of NEC, then in the second division of Dutch football. Lijnders managed the side for 22 games, winning 11, drawing four and losing seven. His main task was to take the side into the Eredivisie, and they had a chance through the play-off system. However, in their first game they lost 4-0 away to FC Emmen. Despite scoring four at home, the side also conceded one and were out. As a result, the club parted ways with Lijnders and he returned to Liverpool.
Lijnders leaves Salzburg with a record of 28 games managed, 13 won, seven drawn and eight lost. He only managed to guide the side to one win in the Champions League, with five defeats. Despite a 3-0 win over Austria Klagenfurt at the weekend, the side have parted ways with Lijnders ahead of their clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League after the winter break.
