Liverpool have confirmed the appointment of Richard Hughes as their new sporting director. Hughes, who announced this month he would leave his role as Bournemouth’s technical director at the end of the season, will officially take up his new role on 1 June.
Michael Edwards was recently appointed as the chief executive for the football division at Fenway Sports Group. He has always wanted to collaborate with Hughes and they have known each other for over 20 years, having previously worked together while Hughes was playing for Portsmouth.
Last summer, Julian Ward’s departure from his position as sporting director at Liverpool reportedly caught Michael Edwards off guard. Edwards, the current sporting director, was surprised that Hughes was not among the potential candidates considered by the club’s owners, FSG.
“I am extremely honored to have been given this amazing opportunity. Liverpool FC is a one-of-a-kind club and I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to contribute to it in this role,” shared Hughes on the club’s website. “Many people rightfully speak of the impressive past of this organization, but it is the present and future that truly excite me.”
My task will involve collaborating with Michael and supervising the football operations team that is already in position, as well as the rest of the staff at the AXA Training Centre. My main responsibility is to make sound decisions in order to improve the chances of having a successful and thrilling team that the fans will enjoy. This has been a key strength of Liverpool for a significant period of time, evident to all.
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Edwards and Hughes will play crucial roles during the club’s shift in leadership with the impending departure of Jürgen Klopp at the end of this season. Hughes played a significant role in the selection of Andoni Iraola as Bournemouth’s head coach last year, and Iraola himself described their relationship as “very strong and positive.”
Iraola and Bayer Leverkusen’s manager, Xabi Alonso, have the same agency. Alonso, a former Liverpool midfielder, is the preferred choice of bookmakers to replace Klopp. While at Bournemouth, Hughes was set to hire Roberto De Zerbi, who is also being considered for Liverpool. However, the ownership change at the club resulted in a delay, giving Brighton the opportunity to secure the Italian.
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Edwards is certain that the addition of Hughes is the initial move towards creating the era after Klopp. He stated, “It is evident to all that Jürgen will leave behind a foundation for us to build upon. In Richard, we have found the appropriate individual to make crucial choices and provide guidance as we move towards a promising future,” as reported on the team’s website.
“As Liverpool’s highly successful chapter draws to a close this summer, our focus is now on starting a new one, and I am confident that with Richard at the helm, we have the right person to lead us towards this goal.”
Source: theguardian.com
