Pep Lijnders, the 41-year-old Dutch football manager who took the reigns of Austrian giants RB Salzburg at the start of the season, has been sacked as the club's head coach. The news comes as a shock to many who had high hopes for the former Liverpool assistant manager, who was tasked with replicating the Reds' success at Anfield in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Lijnders' departure from Liverpool at the end of last season was seen as a major blow to the Reds' backroom staff, with many believing that his in-game tactical acumen and ability to get the best out of the club's younger players would be sorely missed. However, the chance to take charge of RB Salzburg was one that Lijnders couldn't turn down, with the Dutchman no doubt seeing the opportunity to take the reins of a top European club as the perfect chance to prove himself as a top-level manager in his own right.
RB Salzburg, who have dominated Austrian football in recent years, winning 17 of the last 24 Bundesliga titles, will be looking to find a replacement for Lijnders who can restore the club to the summit of Austrian football and mount a serious challenge in European competition. While Lijnders' tenure at the club may have been short-lived, there's no denying that the experience and knowledge that he brings to the table would have been invaluable to the club's young players, and his departure will no doubt be felt in the weeks and months to come.
For Lijnders himself, the challenge now will be to refocus and recharge ahead of his next managerial challenge. With his stock still high in the game, it's likely that the Dutchman won't be out of a job for long, with a host of top European clubs no doubt keeping a close eye on his situation. Whether he takes the opportunity to return to his homeland to manage or remains in European football's top tier remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: Pep Lijnders' managerial career is far from over just yet.