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'They asked me back' - Pep Lijnders makes 'crazy' Liverpool admission after Jurgen Klopp decision




Pep Lijnders admitted that he has felt 'freedom' for the first time in the last two weeks as he closes in on the end of his Reds career.


The Dutchman, who will leave the club at the end of the season to become the RB Salzburg manager, is among the backroom departures following Jurgen Klopp.




Lijnders


"Do you know what's crazy?"


"In the last two weeks, I have felt freedom for the first time. The pressure is gone. There is nothing left to gain or improve.


"We finished third in the competition this season and will no longer play the final. You live purely 'in the moment'. At home against Spurs I already noticed what that does.


"You take it all in even better, the singing of the fans, a swirling Anfield. Honestly? I'm actually disappointed that I didn't enjoy it more all this time."


Lijnders continued: "Jürgen always talks about 'making lifelong memories together'. That's the best thing you can do.


“And that certainly worked. We played special matches and for the fans, Liverpool has again become a club that you associate with finals and prizes.

"My sons are 10 and eight, who grew up with three Champions League finals from Liverpool alone. And with the first English national title in 30 years.


“There was also a whole period without finals and success.”


"At that barbecue on Thursday, I also said something to the players. I praised their character.


“We lost a Champions League final in 2018 in Kyiv and used that to win the final against Spurs a year later in Madrid.


"We lost the Premier League by one point to Manchester City in 2019 and won the league by 18 points the following year.


“Fight back and bounce back by sticking to your playing principles and your beliefs. That is also the legacy of the Klopp era."

Lijnders added:


“At Liverpool, they asked me back after the NEC, but I would never have done it if I had only been asked back as 'number two' in the staff.


"Over the past six years I have been given a lot of responsibility. Jürgen has let me do press conferences, match talks.


“Everything he does himself. “We do this job together,” he always says. And that's how it really is. I know I am well prepared (for Salzburg)."




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