Interview with Lijnders
“If someone doesn’t go along with me, I’ll be strict”
In his first major interview in Austria, Pepijn "Pep" Lijnders talks to the "Krone" about his yes to Red Bull Salzburg, his active coaching on the training pitch and his idea of soccer. He also sends an emotional message to the Bulls' fans.
"Krone": Mr. Lijnders, you understand and speak German very well. Rumor has it that you used to work as a gardener. Is that true?
Pepijn"Pep" Lijnders: No, I wasn't a gardener. But my father grew roses. He was in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. I did the same from a young age. I'm not joking: you repeat a movement three thousand times in one day. Anyway, that's how I came to Germany at an early age. I learned the language at school, but I also spoke it with the boss there.
At the moment, only English is spoken in the team. Is it a goal to do this in German in the future?
Yes, it is. But I'm someone who wants to convey passion and emotion. If you want the players to play with fire, you have to light it. And for that you need fire yourself. It would be too complicated for me in German at the moment, but it will work over time. Many of our players speak English, so that's not a problem. But you can only get to know the culture if you speak the language. That's why I have to do that in the future. That was also the case in Portugal. I couldn't speak a word when I went to Porto. Now I speak fluent Portuguese.
As assistant to Jürgen Klopp, who also managed Liverpool's training for years, you had several offers to choose from. You said that it quickly became clear to you that it would be Salzburg. Why were you so keen to become head coach here?
I love working with talent. I was always the one who worked in the academy. At PSV, in Porto, also in Liverpool. It gives me great pleasure and makes me proud to bring young players to the top. That's why I've always looked to see who has the best academy. Red Bull Salzburg is number three in Europe after Ajax and Benfica when it comes to bringing talented players into the top five leagues. That was an important point for me. I also like it when you play in a league where you can be dominant but also play in Europe. In Liverpool, I really liked the fact that we were challenged every three days. I like the rhythm when you also play during the week. I also found out about the country, the city, the culture and the people and heard a lot of positive things. All of this together made it easy for me. But the decision was ultimately made when my family came to Salzburg. They saw the city, the houses, the schools, the people. They were here before I came here. As I'm away from home a lot and have to work, I want my family to feel particularly at home. And Salzburg is a beautiful city.
You said that your son Romijn missed Salzburg when he was here for the first time.
Yes, when they were back on the plane, he already missed Salzburg. When I asked Benjamin, who hadn't even been to Salzburg yet, if he was already looking forward to it, he said he would have loved to come here yesterday. That was incredible!
Do you already feel at home here?
Yes, right from the start. People make a city what it is. That also applies to a club. The people here are very nice, they made us feel welcome.
How much of your idea about soccer have you already been able to implement in the team?
A lot. I have to pay the players a very, very big compliment. I can have the best ideas, but it's important that the players go along with them. They have to soak it up and be willing to learn. They have made it much easier for me because they are fully on board. The players like our style, we want to operate a lot in the opponent's half, have the ball, win it back immediately when we lose the ball and attack again. That's what most of the players want too. They don't want to stand deep and just lurk on the counter-attack. They want to dribble and shoot. I want them to play in a way that allows them to develop quickly. We've already made a lot of progress in that respect. I also know that it's not always a linear progression, but the boys are doing really well and bringing life to our idea.
They also bring a lot of life into it themselves, are extremely active in training, grab balls, give lots of instructions, move players around and correct them.
That's me (laughs). I firmly believe that training is our best transfer in preparation. With Liverpool, we competed with others in the most professional, most attractive and biggest league in the world. Even there, I believed that the training ground was my office. That's why I was brought in, to make a difference there. I want to use every single minute to move the team in a certain direction, to inspire them and take even more initiative. A player's career doesn't last that long. Our players are young, I want to help them get the best out of themselves. I put my energy into that. If one player does one thing and the next does something else, that causes problems. But if eleven players think in the same direction and pursue a common plan, that doesn't create a 100 percent idea, but a 300 percent idea. You have to be very clear and repeat things. And that's why I correct people when they don't move in the way we want them to. I show them how they can act within our path. Everything is possible within it, but nothing outside it.
In training, you can sometimes be strict or get louder. What type of coach do you see yourself as?
As I said, as long as the players are in line with our idea, they can do anything. They are given freedom, they should be able to develop. Someone like Oscar is very different to Mau(rits). That means you have to respond to the players. If they follow our idea, that's great. The important thing is that the team spirit is right. And if someone doesn't go along with it, then I'll be strict. Or even if someone doesn't follow our idea. I'm usually louder in the meeting room and not when someone is watching us (laughs). I always say that the five minutes after a game are more important than five days before the next game. You have to address and correct things immediately. That's exactly what I do in training. Problems need to be sorted out immediately. And the players need to feel that someone has the big picture in mind. But it's not just me who does that, because I also have an incredible coaching staff.
There have been some changes there, you've also brought several people with you, but others have had to leave. Why was that important to you?
In soccer, you don't have much time to implement new ideas and form a competitive team that can take on anyone. If you have to explain everything to everyone from the start every day, it takes time for them to understand your approach. Then you lose a lot of time in creating a competitive team. That's why you also need people who know you very well and can help bring this new style into a team. The players need to feel that the team behind the team is even better than the team itself. But I also didn't want to bring more than three or four people with me, because it's also important to involve the other staff members. It would be bad to change everything completely.
How important was it to you that the club management, with managing director Stephan Reiter and sports director Bernhard Seonbuchner, had the same vision of soccer as you?
That is fundamentally important. If we weren't on the same wavelength, none of this would make sense. But you mainly get to know people in difficult times, less so in the good ones. When you sign a contract, it's always great. But I had the feeling here that things would also work out if things got more difficult. That could also be the case this season. I remember the year we won the Champions League with Liverpool. We had a disastrous group stage and still won the title. In a bad club, you go your separate ways in troubled times, in a good club you stay together and in a top club you are totally united. I firmly believe in the collective.
Oscar Gloukh will be leaving the club in a few days to take part in the Olympic Games with Israel, but will be absent for longer. How do you see this happening?
We all know what a great player he is and what incredible potential he has. I'm very happy that he's playing for Salzburg. It's not a problem for Oscar or the Israeli team, it's more about the tournament not fitting into the soccer calendar. But I want him to get the best out of himself there and show what a great footballer he is in the games. Then he should come back as an even better player who has also gained experience. One thing is also clear: I can understand that a player always wants to represent his home country.
He could miss important qualifying matches for the Champions League.
That's true, but I have the feeling that our team is strong enough. We are not dependent on one or two players. We should always come through the collective. If we have eleven players on the pitch who all pull together and pursue one idea, I'm sure we can do it.
There were a lot of injuries last season, and several players are currently out again. How are you dealing with this?
Academy! Talents!
Is that the only solution? Or do you also need reinforcements from outside?
The idea when you have a smaller team is that young players can take the next step if some of the regular players get injured. The academy was an important reason why I wanted to come here. This path should always be open, they should always be welcomed with open arms as long as they are team players and are committed to our idea. Then they should show the world how much they want it. Injuries also mean opportunities. Johan Cruyff, one of my idols, said: "Every disadvantage also brings an advantage. The disadvantage that Fernando can't play, that Taku can't play for longer, means that the youngsters have more opportunities. When I was young, I was given the advice to always look at what I have. And not what I don't have. If you look at what you don't have in soccer, you'll be disappointed very quickly (laughs). I see a lot of talent with us. I asked Berni and Stephan to take four great talents from the academy to the training camp. That's a huge opportunity for them. But to answer the question directly: We always have an eye on the market. If it offers something and we can improve, then we'll do something. But it's about making premium transfers that improve our first eleven. So if someone comes in, he has to be really good.
You want to play in a 4-3-3 system.Doyou have enough wingers for that?
People misunderstand me, I want to play with three goal scorers. A goalscorer can also play on the wing. Adam Daghim has always played as a striker, now he plays as a striker on the wing. He can move around the penalty area and shine there as a goalscorer.
Doyou also see Karim Konate playing on the wing or more in the center?
I like players who can play in several positions.
Luka Sucic and Strahinja Pavlovic will join the team next week, but they are being talked about as hot transfer targets. Are you still planning with them?
As long as they are under contract with Salzburg, I consider them my players. I simply want players who only want one thing: Surprise the world with our style of soccer. Everyone has to make a decision as to whether they want to be part of it all. Many want that, they want to show the world their way and ours. We want to be the team that nobody wants to play against. That only works if everyone on the pitch shows passion and has the necessary hunger.
You worked as an assistant coach at a top club like Liverpool, where the focus was on Jürgen Klopp. Now you are working at a smaller club, but as head coach.Doyou feel more pressure now or was it higher in England?
I felt responsibility there and the same here. I don't feel more pressure, but there is a difference between being an assistant coach and a head coach. At the same time, I see it as a privilege to be able to represent this club and be a part of it. I'm under pressure to make the next training session the best. And the one after that even better. I believe that you get 80 percent of your points on the training pitch.
What message do you have for the fans?
Shout as loud as you can! Come to the stadium! Create a never give up mentality! The greatest soccer stories were written in the last ten minutes of the game. You should push us, because we have to feel that we can still really step on the gas in the final phase. That's crucial if we want to be successful together.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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