Pep Lijnders in private

His idol, his greatest fear, his inspiration

Pep Lijnders took some time for the "Krone" at the training camp at Brandlhof in Saalfelden.

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

What is Pep Lijnders' best sporting childhood memory? What sport does he love apart from soccer? And who is the most important person in his life? The FC Red Bull Salzburg coach talks about special moments and special people in the "Krone".

My greatest childhood idol was... Johan Cruyff. Cruyff had a huge influence on how we see the game in the Netherlands. He was one of the best players in the world, also great as a person, as a coach, as a leader. Some brains just work differently, his certainly did.

The greatest sporting event I ever attended was... as a fan, Wimbledon. I saw Federer and Nadal. As a coach, it was the Champions League.

If I have to choose between Salzburg and Liverpool... it's not fair (laughs). I take Salzburg because I live in the moment. I've worked at some incredible clubs. PSV Eindhoven was a family club with so much tradition, the club also won so much, including the Champions League. I worked for Porto for seven years and Liverpool for ten. I will always follow these clubs with a special feeling. They have helped me to grow. They have given me so much as a person and a coach that I will always respect. Red Bull Salzburg is hopefully the next club in that category. I made these decisions very consciously and I know why I came here. Timing is everything in soccer. My heart and my head said from the very first second that Salzburg could be the right decision.

The best Dutch athlete of all time is ... also Johan Cruyff. He had the capacity and the character to completely change a club like Barcelona and a country like Holland. Ajax was his project and his life. In Holland, we should appreciate that and be grateful that he set a certain standard in soccer. I am convinced that the old and simplest ideas are the best, he had so many of them. If I look through Red Bull glasses, I would say Max Verstappen.

The best sporting memory from my childhood is... something you shouldn't tell PSV fans. I was twelve years old, in high school and knew that Ajax were playing Gremio Porto Alegre for the World Cup in Tokyo. I listened to the penalty shoot-out on an old radio and heard how the Ajax players scored and won. It was very emotional for me. This competition doesn't mean much to many people in soccer today, but we went to the Club World Cup with Liverpool. I really wanted to be there because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It brings together soccer fans from all over the world, from the Middle East, from South America, from everywhere. I had the privilege of being there. When we woke up in the morning after the final, Jürgen (Klopp) was playing a song. (pulls out his cell phone and plays Top of the World by Carpenters). This song means the world to me because it takes me back to Qatar, where we beat Flamengo after extra time. Ajax was the starting point, and I've been fascinated by this competition ever since.

Leading the way in Salzburg: Pep Lijnders.

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

My favorite sport apart from soccer is . .. padel tennis. I love this game. It's a sport that's easy to learn, with lots of rallies, much easier than tennis. There's so much excitement in every point. Sometimes the best ideas for soccer come to me after a game.

If I had to choose between Ronaldo and Messi, I' d take ... Messi, Messi, Messi! I had the privilege of playing against both of them. Even when you see him on TV, you recognize Messi's quality. But when he starts dribbling live in the semi-final of the Champions League and you only have one defender left to stop him, you know you're fucked. (laughs) I'm happy that we were able to beat him.

If I had to choose between Johan Cruyff and Jürgen Klopp... I'd take Jürgen Klopp. Life is about relationships, about creating memories with people. I share my best memories with him.

The most important person in my life is... my mom. She has given me so much love, confidence, self-assurance and advice.

Thebiggest fear of my life is ... that there are illnesses in my family.

The greatest joy in my life ... are my boys. Benjamin is eight years old and Romijn is ten.

My biggest inspiration is . .. the game of soccer itself. I try to learn from it, to use it for myself. So many cultures come together here, we are a role model for the world. You can create a style. As a person it's probably John Wooden, he was a college basketball coach in the USA and developed the pyramid of success. A very smart man when it came to training. An important quote from him is: By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.