Liverpool are hoping to have made a decision over the appointment of their next sporting director by the end of next month, with at least four candidates potentially in the running – two of which are already working at the club.
Despite holding a commanding position in all four competitions they are participating in on the pitch this season, the Reds are currently going through a huge transitional phase off it, with iconic manager Jurgen Klopp having announced that he will be leaving Anfield at the end of the season after eight-and-a-half years.
The German will be followed out of the door by several of his key backroom staff but as a result of the bombshell announcement, previous sporting director Jorg Schmadtke has already left the club. That has left owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) searching for not only a new manager but also another sporting director who can take the Reds onto a new frontier.
While there has been plenty of speculation around who will replace Klopp in the Anfield dugout, with former midfielder Xabi Alonso currently considered the red-hot favourite, there has been less noise around who will assume control upstairs in the wake of Schmadtke’s departure.
But when the question was put to Ornstien during his online Q&A session, The Athletic reporter outlined the current situation and threw some credible names into the hat. He wrote: “I hear Liverpool/FSG would ideally like the sporting director situation decided by the end of March. You would assume that person would then spearhead the manager/head coach search. I’m sure movements will already be taking place behind the scenes.
“Ricky Massara and Florent Ghisolfi are among the operators who Liverpool like, while existing staff like David Fallows and Barry Hunter are very highly thought of – and it feels like time is of the essence. I reported on Mike Gordon’s unsuccessful attempt to bring back Michael Edwards and whether or not Gordon is still trying, it appears Edwards is not for turning.”
Turin-born Massara, 55, is the former director of football at AC Milan but is currently without a club. Ghisolfi is 17 years younger than Massara and is currently the sporting director of French Ligue 1 side Nice. Internally, David Fallows is Liverpool’s current head of recruitment, while Barry Hunter is the Reds’ chief scout.
If either Fallows or Hunter were appointed to the role, they would be following in the footsteps of Michael Edwards and Julian Ward as individuals who were promoted from within the existing ranks.
