According to reports, Liverpool are set to announce German chief Jorg Schmadtke as their new Sporting Director. The 59-year-old is set to sign a three-month deal and his first challenge would be to oversee a potentially hectic transfer window. Schmadtke will replace the outgoing Julian Ward, who only stepped in to replace Michael Edwards last summer.
The Reds are currently preparing for one of the biggest transfer windows in the club’s modern history and a major overhaul is expected around Anfield. So, with the news breaking about the potential arrival of a new Sporting Director, Dan Clubbe sat down with The Athletic’s Raphael Honigstein to find out more about music-loving maverick Schmadtke for our latest Transfer Insight show.
Many have dubbed Schmadtke as a surprise candidate for the role, but the appointment isn’t expected to be a long-term solution. The German has been described as an ‘ally’ of Klopp’s, though the former Wolfsburg chief hasn’t had any notable dealings with the Liverpool boss, besides the time they shared a dressing room at Fortuna Dusseldorf in 1986. Hongistein understands why Liverpool are interested in appointing the former journeyman goalkeeper.
“I can see why Jurgen Klopp is looking for somebody like him to help at this moment in time. Liverpool are in need of some experience in the transfer market especially with such an important window coming up.” He said.
Neil Jones on Mason Mount | Is He Using Liverpool To Get More Money?
The Bundesliga aficionado reiterated the random nature of the appointment by confirming the two Germans don’t share a business relationship, but instead are considered good friends with a shared love for rock band Die Toten Hosen.
“Jurgen Klopp has a relationship with him [Schmadtke] which is not necessarily a business relationship, given they have never worked with each other, it looks to me that Klopp wants someone that he trusts.”
Schmadtke has a rich history in football, but his career has never ventured outside of Germany – he was a charismatic goalkeeper most known for his time at Fortuna Dusseldorf, but it wasn’t until after retirement his career reaped more success. After retiring he coached youth teams around Germany, alongside studying engineering and economics at a time when academics weren’t considered beneficiary in German football.
Following stints as an assistant at Borussia Monchengladbach, and goalkeeper coach at Fortuna, Schmadtke set his sights on a more behind-the-scenes role in football. In 2001 the German applied to be Sporting Director at second division side Alemannia Aachen. Apparently, it was the German’s PowerPoint presentation which won over the club’s bosses and his now employers.
During his time at Alemannia, he oversaw promotion to the Bundesliga first division and enjoyed a monumental cup run in 2004 when Aachen reached the final of the DFB Pokal. He also helped guide the club to their first-ever appearance in a European competition, when they qualified for the 04/05 UEFA Cup.
Schmadtke has since enjoyed stints at several Bundesliga clubs, Hannover, Koln, Hamburg, and more recently Wolfsburg. All the clubs have benefitted from his appointment and became Champions League challengers whilst on a shoestring budget. Hannover 96 president praised the German, stating “He was successful everywhere he went.”
So why Liverpool? The German recently announced his retirement from Wolfsburg, stating he wanted to spend more time with his family, and given he has never operated outside the Bundesliga this seems like a random appointment. Furthermore, former sporting directors at Liverpool have been data-driven, Michael Edwards has brought the most success in recent years and according to Hoginstein, Edwards and Schmadtke do not share many similarities.
“He’s not a data scientist, and he’s not an analyst but he has been in football for a long time. I remembered an interview from him the other day that he used to send scouts to games and not tell them which players they were interested in, to rule out any sort of bias.”
ARE LIVERPOOL BACK IN THE TOP 4 RACE AFTER MAN UNITED & NEWCASTLE SLIP UP?
Schmadtke isn’t renowned for signing superstars, he has often worked for smaller clubs and helped them overachieve. Given Liverpool’s business model, they are never going to be the biggest spending club in the league and Klopp knows it. Someone of Schmadke’s credentials could be invaluable for the Reds taking all things into consideration.
“You’ve got to look at his signings and think where they good signings for his club? Yes, they were. They weren’t superstars, he isn’t going to go out and sign Erling Haaland but I think the fact that he’s highly regarded in Germany shows you that people think he’s a smart operator and he tends to get things right”
The deal isn’t a done deal yet, but it seems to be edging closer and closer. If the deal is to go ahead then the dynamic between two outspoken Germans Klopp, and Schmadke will be an interesting one. Klopp has highlighted his desire to work with the former Wolfsburg man when speaking to Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung “I would have liked to work with him, I’m sure it would have worked out well,” the 55-year-old said. “He’s a top character, somebody who never changed in 38 years and stayed true to himself. He’ll be missed by football.”
Maybe he won’t be missed for too much longer…
Redmen Reacts
By all means this one seems random. A three-month deal, no Premier League experience, is recently ‘retired’ and doesn’t really follow the Liverpool philosophy. But I believe this is a smart move. If you trust Klopp then trust the process, the German is yet to let Liverpool down so far in his tenure and it will be he who makes the final decision on Schmadtke. I believe Liverpool have identified several targets already and it will be Schmadtke’s job to get those deals over the line. He’s proved his worth time and time again making over 150 transfers and he is highly regarded in the football world, I have a good feeling about this appointment.
TO HEAR MORE ON JORG SCHMADTKE, CLICK HERE
Use code YEAR to get Club Captain Yearly subscription for half price!
