Oli Scarff / Getty ImagesMay 22, 2026 8:58 am EDT Updated Manchester City assistant manager Pep Lijnders will leave the club at the end of the season.City were keen for the Dutch coach to stay on and be part of a new era at the Etihad following the end of Pep Guardiola’s glittering 10-year reign.Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is set to take over from Guardiola, but Lijnders is understood to have opted against signing a new long-term contract to become one of Maresca’s assistants.Lijnders will say his goodbyes to City players and staff following Sunday’s final game of the season at home to Aston Villa and he’s expected to embark on a new challenge elsewhere this summer.The 43-year-old coach joined City as Guardiola’s No. 2 last summer when the Catalan revamped his staff following the departures of Juanma Lillo, Carlos Vicens, and Inigo Dominguez. He signed a one-year deal with the option of a 12-month extension.Lijnders has since helped City win a domestic cup double but they missed out on the Premier League title to Arsenal.He previously spent nine-and-a-half years at Liverpool across two spells where he helped them win the Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, FA Cup and Carabao Cup (twice). He left when Jurgen Klopp stepped down as manager in May 2024.Lijnders subsequently took over as head coach of Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg but was sacked after just seven months in charge. He had initially intended to return to management as he considered interest from the Championship and Portugal, but decided that the chance to work with Guardiola was too good to turn down.