Liverpool 2.0: Who does what in FSG's new-look structure? (2024)

This is a summer of sweeping changes at Liverpool. Not only is a new era dawning in terms of the first team with head coach Arne Slot replacing the departed Jurgen Klopp, but their executive structure has been revamped with a raft of senior appointments.

The process started in March with the club’s former sporting director Michael Edwards returning to the organisation, after almost two years away, as chief executive of football for the club’s owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG), and has only accelerated since then. A wide range of expertise has since been recruited and some familiar names are back in the fold.

This new-look hierarchy — outlined in the diagram below — has Edwards in an all-encompassing role, and Slot’s responsibilities being largely restricted to on-field football matters (although he is involved in other areas) with the job title of head coach and not manager, as Klopp was.

But what precisely are the responsibilities of the various members of Liverpool’s off-field team?

Mike Gordon

Gordon, who has been a partner in FSG since 2001, took on the day-to-day running of the club in 2013. As FSG president, he was the manager’s main link with the ownership group across the Atlantic Ocean, with Klopp describing him as “my person”.

However, Boston-based Gordon has been keen to reduce his involvement in football and the end of Klopp’s near nine-year reign last month was viewed as the perfect time to make that happen.

He has now taken that step back, with Edwards becoming the chief FSG decision-maker on all football matters. Gordon still has some input as he remains on the FSG board, along with principal owner John W Henry and chairman Tom Werner. Edwards reports to the board.

Michael Edwards

Edwards had made it clear he wasn’t interested in returning to the role of Liverpool’s sporting director, which he left voluntarily in summer 2022. What tempted him back, following talks with the owners in early March, was the offer of a much wider remit and greater seniority.

He is in charge of all FSG’s football operations, and has masterminded the extensive restructuring of Liverpool following Klopp’s decision to stand down as manager.

Edwards, who has resigned from his consultancy work with data company Ludonautics, is also responsible for helping to identify, and subsequently manage post-takeover, a second club somewhere in the world who will be under the FSG umbrella as they look to expand their portfolio.

Richard Hughes

Hughes was recruited from fellow Premier League club Bournemouth as sporting director after being headhunted by Edwards to fill a position that had been vacant since the departure of last summer’s interim appointment Jorg Schmadtke in late January.

Edwards and Hughes have a connection stretching back over 20 years, to their days together as analyst and player respectively at Portsmouth.

Hughes will be the main man when it comes to negotiating transfer deals and contract renewals. He will also oversee coaching, medical and sports science operations, along with administrative and facilities management, at the Kirkby training ground.

Arne Slot

The Dutchman has become the first head coach, rather than manager, in the club’s history. Slot signed a three-year contract after deciding to leave Feyenoord in his homeland, who he led to the title in 2022-23, and take on the challenge of succeeding Klopp.

The idea is that the new structure put in place will allow Slot to focus his energy on coaching and developing players on the training field. There will be a collaborative approach to transfers.

With many of Klopp’s assistants also leaving, the new-look backroom staff has yet to be confirmed, but Sipke Hulshoff will be Slot’s top assistant after also being his No 2 at Feyenoord and Ruben Peeters will be head of performance, having worked under Slot at the Rotterdam club.

Julian Ward

Ward has returned as FSG’s technical director, 12 months after stepping down as Liverpool’s sporting director — he had been promoted from his job as their technical director to succeed Edwards in 2022 — to take a break from football.

Like Hughes, Ward will report directly to Edwards. He will be tasked with overseeing elite player development across FSG’s football operations. The dynamic between Edwards and Ward worked well for Liverpool previously.

Ward’s responsibilities will include oversight of Liverpool’s academy and their work in the loans market, as well as establishing FSG’s new football innovation department. As with Edwards, he will also be involved in managing the football operations of whichever club is added to the FSG family.

Pedro Marques

Marques has left his job as technical director at Benfica in Portugal to become FSG’s director of football development. He is regarded by Edwards as an industry-leading expert in player development, career pathways, coaching methodologies and performance analysis.

Multi-lingual and a UEFA A Licence-qualified coach, Marques will report to Ward and is viewed as the perfect fit for FSG’s expanding football operations, having worked in a multi-club operation previously with City Football Group.

At Lisbon-based Benfica, he oversaw all youth development and their young players’ transition to the first-team environment. Ruben Dias, Joao Felix, Goncalo Ramos, Antonio Silva and Joao Neves were among those to make the move into their senior setup.

David Woodfine

Woodfine is another who Edwards has brought back to the organisation in a new role and with more responsibility — assistant sporting director. He was the club’s director of loans management before his exit last May.

Having initially joined Liverpool in 2014 as scouting and recruitment coordinator, Woodfine went on to become head of football projects and scouting operations. He worked with both Edwards and Hughes when he was a performance analyst at Portsmouth between 2005 and 2010.

As his No 2, Woodfine will help to ease the burden on Hughes, who will also benefit from the input of head of recruitment Dave Fallows, chief scout Barry Hunter and director of research Will Spearman. Mark Burchill has joined the scouting department, also from Bournemouth.

Hans Leitert

Leitert has worked as a goalkeeping consultant for Liverpool since 2018 but Edwards has now promoted him to FSG’s head of global goalkeeping.

The Austrian, who spent five years as head of goalkeeping for the Red Bull group’s stable of clubs across the world, will oversee the development of goalkeeper coaches and implement a data-driven scouting system. One of his first tasks will be to identify and recruit a new head goalkeeping coach for Liverpool, following the departures of the long-serving John Achterberg and his assistant Jack Robinson.

Claudio Taffarel, who won over 100 caps in goal for Brazil from 1988-98, remains part of the staff.

Non-football staff

Billy Hogan has been Liverpool’s CEO since the summer of 2020, having first joined them in 2012 as chief commercial officer.

His role, which focuses on the business side of the club, was expanded in March this year, with the new title of CEO for FSG International. Hogan works closely with Henry, Werner and Gordon to oversee management of the entire FSG sporting enterprise, which extends into baseball, ice hockey, NASCAR motor racing and golf.

Andy Hughes remains Liverpool’s managing director, but there have been three promotions in Hogan’s team this summer:

Ben Latty has been made chief commercial officer. He will manage the development and delivery of the club’s strategy in that sector, including partnerships, merchandising, digital, ticketing and hospitality, fan experience, international academies and commercial tours.

Chief financial officer Jenny Beacham will be tasked with overseeing the economic health of the club in the evolving landscape of regulations across the industry.

Jonathan Bamber becomes chief legal officer. He will be responsible for navigating the game’s regulatory framework and leading the strategy for new business challenges. He will also be responsible for Liverpool’s sustainability programme known as ‘The Red Way’ and ensuring the club meet their environmental, social and corporate obligations.

(Top photos of Michael Edwards, left, and Arne Sloy: Getty Images)

James Pearce joins the Athletic after 14 years working for the Liverpool Echo. The dad-of-two has spent the past decade covering the fortunes of Liverpool FC across the globe to give fans the inside track on the Reds from the dressing room to the boardroom. Follow James on Twitter @JamesPearceLFC