While Liverpool fans have still been trying to process this morning’s shock news of Jurgen Klopp’s departure as manager at the end of the season, the club later confirmed yet another major departure from Anfield.
At midday on Friday, LFC posted on X: “#LFC can confirm Jorg Schmadtke’s tenure as sporting director will come to an end following the culmination of the January transfer window.”
The news was also confirmed on the club’s official website, with the 59-year-old set to depart his role on Merseyside next week after eight months at the helm.
#LFC can confirm Jorg Schmadtke’s tenure as sporting director will come to an end following the culmination of the January transfer window.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 26, 2024
While the announcement about Klopp leaving rocked every Liverpool fan to the core, the news of Schmadtke’s impending exit comes as far less of a surprise.
The 59-year-old took over from Julian Ward the sporting director position last summer on the understanding that it had been intended as a short-term tenure rather than the enduring reign of one of his predecessors in Michael Edwards.
The former Wolfsburg chief mightn’t have built up the same degree of affection from Reds fans as the manager – in fairness, who has in the modern era? – but his departure creates another crucial vacancy that LFC must now fill.
It’ll be the third change in the sporting director role at Anfield in less than two years, a worrying instability after Edwards had been in the job for so long and delivered so many masterstroke transfers both in and out of the club.
Just as choosing the identity of Klopp’s successor will be a gargantuan task, selecting the person to take over from Schmadtke is also a pivotal decision which needs to be reached with extreme consideration and a firm conviction that the right candidate will be appointed.