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Jurgen Klopp has given the go ahead for Liverpool to appoint Jorg Schmadtke as their new sporting director, bringing the club one step closer to making the new hire.
Julian Ward, the current sporting director of Liverpool, will resign this summer, just one year after succeeding the wildly successful Michael Edwards.
The club’s hierarchy is eager to replace the vacancy prior to the reopening of the transfer window so that Liverpool will have the best chances of success in their attempts to carry out a squad revamp.
Schmadtke will sign a contract until June 2026 if negotiations continue as anticipated, while Klopp’s contract will expire in the same month. The Liverpool manager is rumored to be a fan of Schmadtke, who is a well respected figure in German football.
Scmadtke Appointment Edges Closer At Anfield
The Liverpool hierarchy will soon enter advanced negotiations with Schmadtke, according to the Daily Mail. The appointment of the 59-year-old is anticipated imminently, as the transfer window will reopen in less than two months.
This summer will be crucial for Liverpool’s next season’s success prospects. Klopp’s side are fifth in the Premier League, one point behind fourth-place Manchester United having played one more game, and could miss out on Champions League competition next season.
For Klopp’s squad to be successful once more, many feel the side must undergo a squad overhaul.
In recent years, Liverpool has won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup, among other trophies. Consequently, Liverpool’s on and off form this season has come as a surprise to observers.
Liverpool has considered numerous candidates for the position, including Paul Mitchell of Monaco. In November, Ward, who had been linked to a similar position at Ajax, announced his intention to quit Liverpool. He was Edwards’ deputy before assuming the position.
Schmadtke’s Footballing Experience Could Benefit Liverpool
If an agreement can be reached, Schmadtke will join Liverpool’s recruitment staff alongside veteran employees Dave Fallows and Barry Hunter. Priority will be placed on the acquisition of a new central midfielder, with Mason Mount and Alexis Mac Allister on the shortlist.
After playing goalkeeper for Fortuna Dusseldorf, Freiburg, Bayer Leverkusen, and Borussia Monchengladbach, Schmadtke pursued a career as a football executive. He put up his gloves in 1998 and became the sporting director of Alemannia Aachen three years later.
Aachen were heavily indebted when Schmadtke was hired, but they reached the 2004 German Cup final as a second-tier club, losing 3-2 to Werder Bremen. The following year, in 2006, they were promoted to the Bundesliga.
In his four years as sporting director at Niedersachsenstadion, Schmadtke helped Hannover qualify for the UEFA Cup after being appointed to the position in 2009. He then joined Koln in 2013 and was instrumental in their promotion to the Bundesliga the following year.
Schmadtke was appointed as Wolfsburg’s sporting director in 2018 but is available after resigning in February.
“I’ve been doing all this for so long and I’ve realized that it’s time to end this chapter. There are other things in life that I would like to do. First and foremost I think of my wife, my family, who had to put back many years,” he said in a statement following his resignation from the role.
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