Salzburg fires coach Lijnders as club languishes in Austrian league and Champions League

SALZBURG, Austria — Salzburg fired coach Pepijn Lijnders on Monday, with the club 10 points off the lead in the Austrian league and unlikely to advance in the Champions League.

Lijnders was hired by Salzburg, Austria's biggest club, on a three-year contract in May after leaving Liverpool, where he was the longtime assistant to Jurgen Klopp.

“It was clear to see that in many of our matches, we have been far short of our own requirements and aims,” Salzburg CEO Stephan Reiter and managing director of sport Rouven Schröder said in a joint statement.

“We have therefore become convinced that our team needs a new impulse under new management, even if we continued to hope for a turnaround until the end.”

Salzburg is fifth in the Austrian league after 16 games, 10 points behind leader Sturm Graz — the defending champion who ended Salzburg's run of 10 straight titles.

In the Champions League, Salzburg has won one of its six league matches and is 32nd in the 36-team standings, five points from the qualification spots.

Salzburg, funded by drinks giant Red Bull, will be one of 12 teams playing in the Club World Cup in the United States next year.

Reiter and Schröder said they want a new coach in place by the time Salzburg start training on Jan. 3 after the winter break.

Klopp will begin his new role as head of global soccer at Red Bull from January, overseeing its international network of clubs including Salzburg.