Liverpool are set to face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday in their latest brush with the Red Bull franchises.
The Reds have had a closer relationship than most with the clubs owned by the energy drink manufacturer over recent years.
Not only have Liverpool bought and sold players from the likes of Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg, but they’ve also seen a number of their coaching staff join up after leaving Anfield.
So far, the main example of this has been Pep Lijnders, who left his role as assistant manager at Liverpool to take over as head coach of Salzburg this summer.
Lijnders is a highly rated coach who had a number of offers upon leaving the Reds. However, the 41-year-old has had a mixed start to life in the top job.
In the meantime, Liverpool have moved on from his and Jurgen Klopp’s reign in spectacular fashion. Arne Slot could hardly have done a better job since taking over. And while we are yet to hear from Klopp on his successor in too much detail, Lijnders has now been speaking publicly about Slot.
Pep Lijnders gives Arne Slot verdict
Lijnders and Slot knew each other long before the current Liverpool head coach was chosen to succeed Klopp this summer.
The two Dutchmen have seemingly moved in similar circles in the coaching world back in the Netherlands.
Slot spoke about Lijnders during the very early days of his reign at Liverpool and it’s clear that the pair have great respect for each other’s work.
As a result, and given the job Slot has been doing with the Reds this term, it is no surprise to hear Lijnders raving about his compatriot to The Daily Mail.
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“It is not easy to find a coach of the calibre of Liverpool,” says the Salzburg boss. “What is happening now with Arne, doing the job he is doing… wow, it makes me really grateful.
“I feel blessed to see it, the way the club is doing and performing on a really high level. Certain players are flourishing and making the next steps.
“That was the whole idea of us leaving early, so this could happen and the club can continue to grow,” Lijnders adds.
How is Pep Lijnders doing at Salzburg?
Some had wanted Lijnders to take over from Klopp when he vacated his position at the end of last season.
However, the Dutch coach’s early months in Salzburg have shown exactly why he may not have been ready for such a role.
The Red Bull club are perennial winners of the Austrian Bundesliga having won 10 of the past 11 championships. That run was ended last season, when Sturm Graz finally pipped them to the league title.
And things have carried on in a similarly bumpy way under Lijnders this time. Salzburg were beaten 5-0 by the champions before the October international break.
Having also been thumped 4-0 and 3-0 by Brest and Sparta Prague respectively in the Champions League, the picture does not look so rosy for Pep. Salzburg did bounce back with a late 2-1 win against lowly Altach at the weekend, but he is going to have to improve if he has any designs on the Liverpool job after Slot.
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