Michael Edwards steps down as Liverpool owner Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football

Michael Edwards has stepped down as Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football.

The former Liverpool sporting director has already served his discover interval and leaves with one yr remaining on the contract he signed when he was appointed in 2024.

Edwards knowledgeable the FSG hierarchy of his determination final autumn and the membership’s possession group are unlikely to recruit a substitute with FSG president Mike Gordon set to renew management of operating their football operations.

When Edwards agreed to return to the fold to supervise the post-Jurgen Klopp period two years in the past, he made it clear that FSG’s dedication to embarking on a multi-club mannequin had been essential in convincing him to just accept the newly created function of CEO of football.

However, regardless of main an in depth search, with evaluation performed on round 25 golf equipment throughout Europe with a robust give attention to Spain, Portugal and France, no proposal obtained the inexperienced gentle from the FSG board. The Athletic reported in March that FSG had successfully shelved plans to purchase a second membership with Edwards left annoyed by the deadlock.

Edwards initially joined Liverpool from Tottenham Hotspur as head of efficiency evaluation in November 2011. He was promoted to the function of director of technical efficiency after which technical director earlier than changing into sporting director in 2016.

He developed a status as a shrewd negotiator and his double act with Klopp helped Liverpool construct a crew who had been topped champions of Europe in 2019. Twelve months later the membership’s 30-year anticipate the league title 12 was ended with Premier League glory.

Edwards stepped down as sporting director in 2022 and subsequently rejected round a dozen job gives from golf equipment throughout Europe, together with profitable approaches from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea to run their football operations.

Instead he joined forces with former Liverpool director of analysis Ian Graham as a advisor for sports activities advisory analytics enterprise Ludonautics.

FSG turned to Edwards in 2024 to supervise the transition from the Klopp period. Edwards was liable for appointing Richard Hughes as sporting director and bringing again Julian Ward as FSG technical director.

The Athletic reported last week that Hughes can also be set to maneuver on later this yr with the expectation that he joins Saudi Pro League membership Al Hilal after the summer season switch window.