Man City assistant Pep Lijnders on working for Guardiola, Klopp’s approval and more | OneFootball

Manchester City assistant manager Pep Lijnders has discussed working under Pep Guardiola, receiving approval from Jurgen Klopp and more.

“Intense,” the Dutchman answered on what it is like to work for his current boss – Guardiola. “He’s brilliant, of course.

“He has a passion and a game understanding from a different planet, in my opinion. He knows exactly what he wants.

“The good ones and the top ones, what sets them apart is their love, in my opinion, for his team.

“You always have people who are geniuses in terms of how to prepare a team, but the quality lies in how you touch the heart of the players, how you convince them to play in a certain way.”

On the Catalan’s style of play, he added: “I don’t think you see a lot of difference in idea because Pep is about organised attacks, constantly wanting to suffocate the opposition. That didn’t change.

“I think the mindset of Pep and the idea never changed. But the opposition always forces you to find different weapons.”

Lijnders joined City as an assistant coach back in June. The Dutchman had previously worked in the same role at Liverpool under Klopp for more than six years.

“You want my political answer?” he joked, when asked if it was a difficult decision given his history with rivals Liverpool.

“The moment Pep called and the feeling he gave me, what he wanted to do with the team by bringing me in, the trust he already had before we even started talking about how it would look, made the decision much easier.

“But you cannot put away 10 years in Liverpool that easily.

“But I’m really proud to come to a club of this magnitude, to come in a club that was so successful over the last 10 years, with a manager who defined football.

“When I spoke with Jürgen about it, he was so clear – ‘if you don’t do it, I’ll take the assistant job.'”