Liverpool appoint new coach who had Pep Lijnders’ job & worked with Vitor Matos

Liverpool have appointed Diogo Paiva as the club’s new technical skills coach to work with the first team and academy.

First reported by Lewis Bower on X and now confirmed by This Is Anfield, the Reds’ summer overhaul has continued with the arrival of Paiva from Porto.

The 38-year-old joins as a technical skills coach and has previously worked with fellow Portuguese Vitor Matos.

As Elite Development Coach, Matos was a key member of Jurgen Klopp‘s backroom staff and has now moved to Red Bull Salzburg to join Pep Lijnders and Andreas Kornmayer.

Paiva worked with Matos at Shandong Luneng in China as well as at Porto, before Matos made the move to Merseyside in 2019.

Born in Porto, Paiva began his career working with the very youngest of AC Milan‘s Portuguese-based youth teams before spending a year at Monaco as a technical director in the academy.

After a brief stint as assistant coach at Portuguese lower-league club SC Espinho, he returned to talent development and, in 2016, moved to China.

There, he worked as head of individual player development at the Chinese top-flight club, Shandong Taishan.

Two years in that role set him up well as when he returned to Portugal, he took on the same job at Porto and held the role for six years.

In 2022, he also became Porto’s U19 assistant coach and remained in the role until this summer, when he made the switch to Liverpool.

As well as Matos coming from Porto, Lijnders also followed a similar path.

The Dutch coach, too, spent six years at Porto, working his way up from the under-19s, to the B team, and eventually to the first team as a technical coach.

Paiva was clearly attached to his hometown club, Porto, and posted on LinkedIn upon his departure:

“It was a pleasure to work with such special people, including players, who helped me grow as a coach!

“It was an honour and a privilege to wear the shirt with this symbol on the chest and lead the Individual Development Project. I’m sure the club will continue to grow and develop players.

“I wish everyone at the club much success! I will always be grateful to those who trusted me with this opportunity to create something pioneering at the club in terms of player development!

“Countless players reached our 1st Team and winning the UEFA Youth League will be remembered. Representing this club is something indescribable!

“See you forever, FC Porto.”

As with every appointment, Liverpool will have performed a mass of due diligence on Paiva and will be confident he can contribute positively to the club.

Welcome to Liverpool, Diogo Paiva!