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Pepijn Lijnders’ management career has been dealt yet another challenging blow with the news that he has been ousted from his position as head coach of Red Bull Salzburg after only six months in the position.

After taking over in May of 2024, Lijnders originally garnered notice by winning three consecutive league matches in a row. However, the results continued to deteriorate in the months that followed throughout his tenure.

Due to the fact that Salzburg only managed to achieve four victories in the subsequent thirteen matches, they fell to fifth position in the Austrian Bundesliga, 10 points behind the team that was leading the league, SK Sturm Graz.

Despite the fact that Salzburg defeated SK Austria Klagenfurt by a score of 3-0 in their most recent encounter, the administration of the club cited “unsatisfactory performances” as the key reason for Lijnders’ departure from the team.

The team’s woes were not confined to the local tournament; they also did poorly in the UEFA Champions League. They finished last in their group with only one victory and five losses, and they ranked 32nd overall in the competition that they participated in.

The Chief Executive Officer, Stephan Reiter, and the Sporting Director, Rouven Schroder, issued a joint statement in which they acknowledged the requirement for a “new impulse” to propel the squad forward.

In their explanation, they stated that a study of the season indicated chronic underperformance, which ultimately led to the challenging choice to break ways with Lijnders. The management finally came to the conclusion that a change in leadership was required in order to revitalise the team, despite the fact that they had high hopes for development.

The club is currently in the process of searching for a successor and has set a goal to select a new head coach by the time that training begins on January 3, 2025.

The firing of Lijnders occurs at the same time as Jurgen Klopp is appointed to the position of head of worldwide football for Red Bull in January of 2025. Given Klopp’s long-standing connection with Lijnders, the fact that he will be supervising Red Bull-affiliated teams like Salzburg as part of his new role adds an element of mystery to the situation.

At Liverpool, where Lijnders served as Klopp’s assistant throughout a period of remarkable accomplishments, including the acquisition of the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020, the two had a great deal of success together.

There is a relationship between the two, which has led to conjecture that the decision of Salzburg to seek a change in leadership may have been influenced by Klopp’s new post.

This is the second time that Lijnders has had his managing career come to an abrupt end, the first being in 2018, when he had a brief stay at NEC Nijmegen. The fact that he was unable to achieve success as a head coach, although having an exceptional record as an assistant coach, is illustrative of the difficulties that come with taking on a leadership role.

Despite this, Lijnders’ previous accomplishments with Klopp and his tactical skills indicate that he will continue to be a sought-after option for future jobs, whether it be as a head coach who is attempting to recover from his previous position or in a supporting capacity.

During the time that Red Bull Salzburg is working to recover from a challenging first half of the season, the hunt for a new head coach will be constantly observed. The club is resolute in its pursuit to reclaim its place as the dominant team in Austrian football and to enhance its stature in European tournaments via improvement.

The club has enormous hopes for success, both locally and internationally, and this choice highlights those aspirations significantly.