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Former Köln and Wolfsburg sporting director Jörg Schmadtke may be coming out of retirement to take over as the new sporting director at Liverpool. Reports from The Telegraph and Sky Germany have confirmed that the 59-year-old is in talks with Liverpool to potentially join as a consultant and later become the permanent sporting director. Schmadtke, who previously announced his retirement from football, would replace current sporting director Julian Ward who is leaving the club at the end of the season.
Schmadtke’s prior experience as a successful builder at Alemannia Aachen, Hannover 96, Köln, and Wolfsburg, in addition to his ability to identify strong head coaches, align well with what Liverpool needs for their summer rebuild. However, Schmadtke has a reputation for being confrontational which has led to issues with head coaches and management in his prior roles. His inexperience at managing large transfer fees and star players could also pose a challenge in his new role.
The transfer handling of Victor Osimhen at Wolfsburg will be a primary concern for Liverpool fans. Osimhen was signed for €3.5 million and ultimately sold for €75 million, and his poor performance at Wolfsburg has been cited as one of Schmadtke’s biggest failures. Nevertheless, Schmadtke’s ability to deal with complicated head coaches, including Liverpool‘s own Jürgen Klopp, may be a positive factor in his role at Liverpool.
Liverpool currently has six players whose contracts will expire this summer, which will require Schmadtke to work closely with scouts to identify necessary talent for the rebuild. Klopp has recently hinted that the rebuild will be painful, but with a few smart transfers, the team can undoubtedly get better. Schmadtke’s first true rebuild as a sporting director will be a crucial test for his management ability.
Overall, Schmadtke’s potential addition to Liverpool‘s leadership team could be a positive step towards rebuilding the team for future success. His experience in successful team-building, combined with his ability to identify distinguished head coaches, could be the injection of expertise and talent Liverpool needs to strengthen their position in the league. However, his past reputation for confrontation and lack of experience in managing star players and large transfer fees could pose challenges. Only time will tell if Schmadtke can rise to the occasion and aid Liverpool in their upcoming rebuild.
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