On Friday, Jürgen Klopp announced his departure from Liverpool FC. Just over an hour later, the Reds announced another personnel decision: Jörg Schmadtke is also leaving the club – albeit after the current transfer period.
After announcing the departures of Jürgen Klopp and his assistant coaches Pepijn Lijnders, Peter Krawietz and Vitor Matos at the end of the season, another manager is leaving Liverpool. As the club announced, the term of office of sporting director Jörg Schmadtke ends after the current transfer period. “He has made a valuable contribution, both in terms of supporting Jürgen Klopp and in terms of supporting and guiding our excellent soccer department,” Mike Gordon, President of the US “Fenway Sports Group”, which owns LFC, is quoted as saying.
Carried out a personnel shake-up together with Klopp
Schmadtke had only ended his early retirement last June and succeeded Julian Ward at Liverpool. Together with the outgoing coach, the 59-year-old, who saw himself as a “service provider” for the “decision-maker” Klopp, carried out a personnel shake-up. Among others, midfielders Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain left the club. The Reds signed Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo as their replacements
At the time, the transfer policy had attracted criticism. Long-serving Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, for example, described it as an “absolute disaster” in mid-August – wrongly, as it turned out. After all, Liverpool are top of the Premier League table after 21 match days.
Schmadtke will leave the Reds as the frontrunner after deadline day. His first stint abroad was only for a short period of time anyway. “Liverpool is a very special club and it was a great honor for me to be able to work here, even though I knew from the start that it would only be for a short time,” explained Schmadtke.
It is questionable whether there will even be a successor. Even before Schmadtke’s appointment, the club questioned whether it needed a sports director model at all
