Every person in FSG's Liverpool power structure and how it will work

The summer of 2024 will be marked by one of change at both Liverpool and their owners, Fenway Sports Group.

With Jurgen Klopp now having departed for a life away from football, for now, it's all change within both FSG and the Reds themselves as they get set for a brand new era led by Michael Edwards, Richard Hughes and Arne Slot.

Here, the ECHO breaks down the new-look structure that FSG hope will put them on track for a similarly glittering period as the one that preceded it under Klopp.

READ MORE: Richard Hughes key to Liverpool triggering release clause and securing early summer transfer

READ MORE: Andy Robertson to go back to basics under Arne Slot as major Liverpool problem obvious

Tom Wenrer, John W Henry, Mike Gordon - Fenway Sports Group

The most notable figures of FSG when it comes to Liverpool FC are principal owner John W Henry, club chairman Tom Werner and FSG president Mike Gordon.

Gordon was the most hands-on of the trio, regularly keeping in contact with Jurgen Klopp to stay on top of the day to day developments at the AXA Training Centre. Werner, in his role as club chairman, is the representative at Premier League shareholders' meetings, while Henry resides more in the background over longer-term strategy.

The appointment of Michael Edwards as FSG's 'CEO of football' marked the point for Gordon to take a step back, something which he has been open about doing for some time. Werner is the man put up by FSG for media appearances due to his decades-long background in the television industry in the United States, while Henry is viewed as a patriarch of the group, presiding over the bigger issues within the sport.

Michael Edwards - FSG CEO of football

Having had no appetite for a return to Liverpool as sporting director - a role he performed with distinction between 2016 and 2022, Edwards stepped up talks over a job inside FSG itself with face-to-face talks with the Liverpool owners in Boston back in March.

Edwards is now effectively the head of Liverpool FC, overseeing the restructuring within the club itself. Edwards declined the opportunity to reprise similar roles to his previous stint at Liverpool when approached by Manchester United and Chelsea and he is also being tasked with kick-starting FSG's multi-club model, a strategy that has drawn some criticism.

It was Edwards's job to appoint a sporting director to widen the search for Jurgen Klopp's successor and he wasted no time bringing in Richard Hughes from Bournemouth. The former sporting director left his role at analytics firm Ludonautics following his official return to the FSG fold.

Edwards is a former professional, though his playing career never made it further than Peterborough's reserves, who moved into the scouting side of the game with Portsmouth in 2003, having earned a degree in business management and informatics at the University of Sheffield.

At Portsmouth, he was taken on as an analyst, working with manager Harry Redknapp. Edwards fulfilled the role of ProZone analyst at Fratton Park. He moved to Tottenham in 2009, working primarily as an opposition analyst, but followed Damien Comolli to Liverpool two years later.

His stint as sporting director during a time when Liverpool won every major trophy available under Klopp saw his reputation soar with many of the players signed on his watch subsequently enjoying legendary playing careers with the Reds.

Julian Ward - FSG technical director

Like Edwards, Ward returns with a different role and a fresh set of responsibilities having accepted terms to come back on board as FSG's technical director. Ward's extensive contacts book, particularly in the Portuguese region, will be used to help identify the best path forward as Fenway go about adding to their stable. Ward will reportedly be tasked with overseeing the development of players within the FSG stable of clubs including at academy level while also the loan departments.

Having previously served as the club's loan and pathways manager before moving into the sporting director job vacated by Edwards in 2022, following a soft launch into the position as his assistant, the highly-regarded Ward will once more be answering to his former boss at Liverpool as an FSG employee.

Pedro Marques - FSG director of football development

Marques arrives from Benfica to fill the role of director of football development. where he led on coaching recruitment and oversaw a youth structure for the Lisbon giants.

A key part of Benfica's operation is to develop players to the point where they are able to bring huge sums of money when they leave for bigger European clubs and the Portuguese have become one of the elite selling clubs on the continent over the last decade through the departures of the likes of Joao Felix, Ruben Dias and Darwin Nunez, who moved to Liverpool for an initial £64m two years ago.

Marques, who was sounded out in February, has previously worked for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City, City Football Group. He shares a good relationship with Ward and was hugely helpful when arranging a friendly between the Reds and Benfica B prior to the 2019 Champions League final.

Hans Leitert - FSG Head of goalkeeping

Leitert arrives in a newly-created role that will see him lead on restructuring the goalkeeping department at Anfield after the exits of both the long-serving John Achterberg and Jack Robinson, his assistant.

The 51-year-old, who held a similar role with Red Bull's football group for five-and-a-half years, has been working for Liverpool for the last six years as a goalkeeping scouting consultant.

In his role, he is expected to oversee the development of goalkeeper coaches while implementing a data-driven scouting system. His role means he will manage goalkeeper analysis, introduce a goalkeeper-specific training programme and oversee goalkeeper specific pathways.

Born in Austria, Leitert played for his country's under-18 and U21 teams before having to retire early due to injury. He began his coaching career at former club VfB Modling before working at Rapid Vienna, Austria Vienna, Panathinaikos, Huelva of Spain, Tottenham Hotspur and the Austria U21 team. He holds a Master's degree in Sports Science, has spoken at goalkeeper lectures on behalf of UEFA and FIFA and is a published author on goalkeeping.

Arne Slot - Liverpool FC head coach

Slot became Liverpool's first-ever head coach on June 1 to succeed the wildly popular and successful Jurgen Klopp, who left after nearly nine years having won eight trophies.

The former Feyenoord boss is yet to speak publicly about his move but the official change was completed on Saturday. He arrived having won the Eredivisie in 2023 and the KNVB Beker (Dutch Cup) in April.

Slot's appointment was largely a date-driven process inside the club as they looked to find a coach whose style was most similar to Klopp's and compatible with the squad at his disposal. His embracing of sports science developments was also viewed as a tick in the box as Liverpool look to minimise an injury list that reached comical proportions at times last term.

The title of 'head coach' was given to him as a way of reducing the things Slot is ultimately responsible for with it becoming accepted within the club that too much was landing at the desk of former incumbent Klopp, who cited a lack of energy as his reasoning for stepping down.

Essentially Slot will have less to concern himself with at Anfield with his tasks mainly centring around what happens on the pitch, although he will retain an influential voice on all matters across the club, particularly in recruitment.

Richard Hughes - Liverpool FC sporting director

Hughes was hand-picked by Edwards to become the club's first permanent sporting director since Ward left last summer. The former Scotland international was essentially headhunted from Bournemouth with Edwards having held a long-standing desire to work with someone who he got to know well during their time at Portsmouth together 20 years ago.

A lover of Italian and Spanish football with a bulging contacts book for both regions, it's anticipated Hughes's arrival might open up new avenues of recruitment for Liverpool to explore.

The former Portsmouth captain was coaxed into the analytics side of football by Eddie Howe upon his retirement and as Bournemouth's technical director the Cherries were able to post Premier League finishes of 9th, 12th and 14th.

Hughes led on the negotiations with Feyenoord to land Slot after speaking to the Dutchman himself alongside his representatives to outline the plan to bring him to Anfield. The Scot will also lead on transfer negotiations this summer.

David Woodfine - Liverpool FC assistant sporting director

David Woodfine returns to the club a year after leaving as head of loan pathways. This time, Woodfine is under the guise of assistant sporting director to become the first person at the club with that job title since Ward in 2022. Woodfine will likely be expected to organise the loan deals for academy hopefuls alongside other tasks.

Barry Hunter - Liverpool FC chief scout

Liverpool’s chief scout is a former Northern Ireland international defender, who was born in Coleraine and played for Crusaders in his homeland before signing for Wrexham in 1993. Reading bought him for £400,000 three years later and it was with the Royals where he got to know Brendan Rodgers, who brought him to Anfield in 2012. Hunter joined Blackburn Rovers as a senior scout in 2006 and did a similar job for Norwich City before moving to Manchester City in 2008.

He was City’s chief scout for Italy, Switzerland and Russia. Hunter was recruited by Liverpool as their new chief scout in 2012 at the same time as they snapped up Fallows. At Liverpool he follows up recommendations from regional scouts and draws up detailed reports on players who the Reds are tracking.

Dave Fallows - Liverpool FC head of recruitment

Poached from Manchester City following the appointment of Brendan Rodgers in 2012, Fallows is Liverpool's head of scouting and recruitment, responsible for co-ordinating the club's worldwide network of scouts with regards to potential targets.

He works closely with Barry Hunter, the club's chief scout, to attend matches, gather information and compile detailed player reports which are accessed by Edwards, Klopp and others.

Speaking in 2017, Klopp credited Fallows and Hunter with playing key roles in the decision to sign Mo Salah from Roma. “The scouting department was really behind me, and wanted to do it even earlier so that nobody could jump in!” he said. We were sure he can help us. Michael Edwards, Dave Fallows and Barry [Hunter], they were really in my ear and were on it: ‘Come on, come on, Mo Salah, he’s the solution!'”

Mark Burchill

Bournemouth's chief scout Mark Burchill also arrives Hughes and will work in the recruitment department alongside the long-serving and influential duo of Hunter and Fallows. Hunter remains Liverpool's chief scout while Fallows's title sees him operate as the head of recruitment. Burchill will supplement the pair behind the scenes.

Will Spearman - Liverpool FC director of research

Spearman replaced Ian Graham as Liverpool's director of research last summer when the Welshman left with Ward. The American is head of a small team whose work is mainly geared towards establishing the right players to look at in the transfer market. Little is known about their day to day operation and interview requests are always politely declined.

Sipke Hulshoff, Ruben Peeters

Hulshoff's arrival has yet to be confirmed but the Dutchman will join as Slot's assistant while Peeters joins as the club's head of performance. More news around appointments is expected in the coming weeks. 8