With Arne Slot replacing Jürgen Klopp as manager off the field, the Reds will make significant off-field changes this summer. He’ll be taking on a new responsibility within his backroom team.
John Achterberg has been part of Jürgen Klopp’s backroom team since his arrival at Liverpool (Image: (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
With Jürgen Klopp’s nine-year tenure coming to an end, Liverpool is going to see significant change this summer. Along with coaches Vitor Matos and Peter Krawietz, No. 2 Pep Lijnders will accompany the German out of Anfield.
Liverpool’s success has been largely attributed to Klopp’s backroom crew; new manager Arne Slot will need to make some significant additions to the coaching staff. Sipke Hulshoff, an assistant who plays the same position for the Dutch national team, is expected to join him.
The Athletic has reported that John Achterberg, who has been with the team for 15 years, will be leaving at the end of the season, meaning that another position may need to be filled.
After being elevated to the first team by Sir Kenny Dalglish, Achterberg worked in the backroom under Brendan Rodgers and is currently employed by Klopp. He reportedly gets along well with the outgoing German boss.
After Achterberg was called a “goalkeeper maniac” during tough runs for Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius, Klopp was forced to stand up for him. “He is working constantly, developing, changing programs,” he told the Liverpool Echo.
John enters the building first and leaves last. No matter how early I arrive at Melwood, when I climb the stairs, he’s already there, watching goalkeepers on the other side of the globe with his laptop open.”
According to The Guardian, Achterberg’s efforts were rewarded when he recognized Alisson Becker and suggested the AS Roma player to Klopp. He went on to become one of the world’s best goalkeepers at Liverpool after costing the Reds $80 million (£65 million/€75 million).
The Brazilian has said in the past that Achterberg should get a lot of credit for his success. “John has proven to be not just a great goalkeeping coach but a great guy, a great person,” he said in a statement to Liverpool’s official website.
Every day, he leaves me feeling very at ease and content, and we both benefit from each other’s efforts. I’ve highlighted certain aspects of his work, and he’s given me advice on how to get better on the field. A goalkeeper and a goalkeeping coach should, in my opinion, have an exchange based on a great deal of trust.”
In 2021, Achterberg received a promotion to become head of Liverpool’s goalkeeping division. This season, Claudio Taffarel, a former Brazil stopper, has worked closely with Alisson and Caoimhín Kelleher in a hands-on coaching role.
