Fenway Sports Group (FSG), owners of Premier League club Liverpool, have announced the appointment of Michael Edwards as their new chief executive of football, marking a return to the club for its former sporting director.
Edwards, who previously joined the Merseyside outfit in 2011, before becoming sporting director in 2016 and leaving the club in the summer of 2022, was in charge during one of the most successful eras in Liverpool’s history.
The Reds won the Premier League and Champions League in 2019 and 2020, respectively, with Edwards building one of the English league’s best teams that included signings like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, and Brazilian shot-stopper Alisson Becker.
Edwards initially turned down FSG’s approach to bringing him back to the club following the news of Jurgen Klopp’s impending departure at the end of the 2023–24 season.
???? Michael Edwards named FSG CEO of football. Resigns from Ludonautics June 1 + replaces Mike Gordon in charge of Liverpool. Will appoint SD (Hughes) to recruit Klopp successor & help identify/manage a 2nd club. Turned down #CFC + #MUFC @TheAthleticFC #LFC https://t.co/z5fMc0pU1n
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) March 12, 2024
“Michael [Edwards] is one of the most formidable executive talents in world football,” said FSG president Mike Gordon. “He returns to us in a role with greater seniority than he held previously and with a wider remit.
“It was clear when we initially reached out to him that a broader scope would be a key motivating factor for any potential return to the industry. In this regard – and many others – his ambitions matched ours.”
Gordon also revealed that the Reds’ former sporting director “will take over responsibilities I have previously held regarding oversight and management of Liverpool FC’s football operation.”.
According to reports, Edwards turned down a number of offers from big clubs both in England and Europe to return to the game, which included roles to oversee the football operations at Chelsea and Manchester United.
“It was vital for me that, if I did return, it had to be with renewed vigour and energy,” Edwards said. “I was humbled by desire, persistence FSG showed in wanting to work with me again. This is definitely not something that I take for granted”.
“One of the biggest factors in my decision is the commitment to acquire and oversee an additional club,” he added.
He is expected to oversee Liverpool’s post-Klopp journey and will have to stop his responsibilities as a consultant at sports management business Ludonautics, with his official resignation set for June 1.
Along with helping to restructure the football operations of Liverpool, Edwards new role will include bringing in a new sporting director and also helping FSG identify a second club to purchase.
