Liverpool assistant manager Zeljko Buvac will not return to his role and Pep Lijnders will now take on more responsibility, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The regional newspaper report that the Bosnian Serb’s exit is expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks, with Liverpool still maintaining he has been away since April for ‘personal reasons.’
The Echo claim that Lijnders, who was brought back to the club this summer after a stint in charge at NEC Nijmegen, has now stepped up in pre-season to take on a bigger role.
OPINION
Buvac’s exit is a tough pill to swallow for Liverpool, and particularly for Klopp, as we head into the new season. The Bosnian Serb has been Klopp’s closest confidante for 17 years, with the two sticking together throughout, and to see him walk away like this will be hard for the German mastermind. The real reasons behind Buvac’s exit have not yet emerged: the club still claim it was for personal reasons but the press seem to think otherwise. Whatever the truth, the Reds will now have to move on without him, and promoting Lijnders to a bigger role is the best way to do that. The Dutchman is highly-respected among the Liverpool squad, and Klopp will be so happy that he has returned after a spell away from the club. His influence in the dressing room is obvious, and the Reds should eventually forget all about Buvac, with a stellar coaching team in place despite his absence.
