Jurgen Klopp's former Liverpool lieutenant Pep Lijnders has been sacked by Red Bull Salzburg after a series of disappointing performances and results took their toll on the Austrian club.
His assistant Vitor Matos, who followed Lijnders from Liverpool, has also made his departure.
The news comes just two weeks before Klopp is due to start as Red Bull's global head of soccer. The German will act as an adviser for the Red Bull-owned clubs in Germany, United States, Brazil and Austria.
A sombre statement from Salzburg CEO Stephan Reiter and sporting director Rouven Schroder acknowledged the issues: "We began our announced analysis of an unfortunately unsatisfactory autumn season some time ago.
"It was clear that we were far from our own expectations and goals in far too many games."
OFFICIAL: FC Red Bull Salzburg and Pepijn Lijnders are parting ways, the 41-year-old Dutchman was released from his duties today. Thank you for your commitment and all the best for the future, Pep!
— FC Red Bull Salzburg EN (@FCRBS_en) December 16, 2024
"Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that our team needed a new impetus under new leadership, even though we were still hoping for a turnaround right up until the end.
"We would like to thank Pep for his work. He invested a lot of commitment and passion and also gave us important impulses for further development.
"We are now working very intensively on the search for a coach and will announce it as soon as a decision has been made. It is clear that we want to start training with our new coach on January 3, 2025."
Despite the setbacks, Salzburg recorded a 3-0 win over Austria Klagenfurt in the last game before the winter interval. But they sit fifth in the Austrian Bundesliga table, trailing current leaders Sturm Graz by 10 points after 16 games.
On the European front, their only Champions League win arrived courtesy of a 3-1 defeat of Feyenoord, managed by current Liverpool manager Arne Slot previously.
When Lijnders moved to Salzburg, he took Liverpool's Stefan Bajcetic with him, securing the Spaniard on a season-long loan. He also signed Bobby Clark from the Reds for a reported fee of around £10m.
Clark netted his first goal for his new club at the weekend, in what turned out to be Lijnders' final match in charge.
