Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, Getty Images 01 February 2026, 13:43

Pep Linders, Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant at Liverpool, has told a funny story about his conversation with the German coach before his move to arch-rivals Manchester City.

In the summer of 2025, after an unsuccessful period at the head of Salzburg, Leinders received an offer to become Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City. Given the principled rivalry between Liverpool and City in recent years, the Dutchman hesitated and decided to consult his former boss.

Klopp’s reaction was immediate and unequivocal: “When I spoke to Jürgen, he made it very clear: ‘If you don’t do it, I’m going to work as an assistant myself!'” recalls Leinders.

According to Leinders, this joke and Klopp’s support helped him make a difficult decision. “You can’t just throw away 10 years at Liverpool. But when Pep Guardiola called me and told me about his plans and his trust in me… it made the decision much easier. I’m very proud to come to a club of this scale, which has been so successful and to work with a coach who has defined the development of football,” said Leinders.

Leinders now works side-by-side with Guardiola, while Jurgen Klopp serves as Red Bull’s head of global football. Meanwhile, rumors are increasingly linking Klopp with a possible return to coaching, particularly at Real Madrid from the 2026/27 season.