Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders has revealed that he rejected a move to Arsenal to be part of Mikel Arteta's coaching staff at the club. The 39-year-old has been an integral part of the Reds' success in recent years, having signed an extension to his deal alongside Jurgen Klopp in Merseyside.
Arteta was named the new Gunners head coach in late 2019, taking over from Unai Emery, who struggled to bounce back from a Europa League final defeat to Chelsea the season before. The former midfielder made the transition into coaching when he was assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
His move into coaching has come with its critics but the Man City manager has been full of praise for the job Arteta has done at the Emirates Stadium. "I would say Mikel is the most important player they [Arsenal] have. I know his charisma and ideas and especially, his personality to do what he believes is the best for the team and the club," he said.
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The Spaniard has made sweeping changes since being in charge, including a complete overhaul of the playing squad that continues to change year on year. Another key change he made last year was appointing Nicolas Jover as a set-piece coach.
Another former Manchester City man, Jover helped transform how Arsenal approach set-pieces in the previous campaign, scoring the third most in the league with 16 from dead-ball situations. It's the sort of creativity and work on the training ground that is giving the Gunners the edge going into games.
However, they could have had yet another key figure in the coaching setup, as Liverpool assistant Lijnders revealed that he was offered a position at Arsenal under Arteta. Speaking in his new book called "Intensity", he said: "Mikel Arteta had asked me to be his assistant manager when he was preparing for his new step into management.
“We were together years earlier on the Pro Licence course, [though] his request came out of nothing. Mikel had said he felt: 'There was just a difference playing Liverpool before and after you came in.' This was the biggest compliment I ever got from somebody, I think, but I politely said no to him.”
It shows the effort that the head coach is putting into the details on the training ground, looking to give his side the best chance of long-term success.
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