Liverpool’s chief executive, Billy Hogan, describes the club as undergoing a “post-Jurgen Klopp reset” with new head coach Arne Slot and a restructured football framework.
Since Klopp, who secured seven major trophies in nine years, announced his departure Thapcamtv in January, the club has made several behind-the-scenes changes at Anfield.
Slot, 45, has succeeded the German manager, but Liverpool’s parent company, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), has reinstated former executives Michael Edwards and Julian Ward, who departed in 2022. They are now tasked with creating a new structure to oversee strategy for principal owner John W. Henry and the organization’s president, Mike Gordon.
Hogan, who oversees the business operations on Merseyside, told BBC Sport that Klopp’s departure has “offered a chance for a reboot or reset, and perhaps a reevaluation of how things will operate moving forward.”
Hogan, who is known to have had a close personal relationship with Klopp, added: “Jurgen’s departure was a monumental decision, but it was clearly the right choice for him and his family, and, by extension, the right decision for the club.”
“He was very clear about his intention to leave the club in a better position than he found it, and I believe he has achieved that. The timing of his announcement allowed us to undertake a thorough process.”
Behind the scenes, Liverpool have brought in Richard Hughes from Bournemouth as their sporting director and Pedro Marques from Benfica as the technical director. Hogan believes these hires will bring “new energy and vision” to the club.
Hughes and Marques will concentrate exclusively on transfers and supporting Slot, while FSG will persist in exploring a multi-club structure, despite talks with French club Bordeaux collapsing due to insurmountable issues.
Hogan described it as “sad” that Bordeaux have filed for bankruptcy, noting that alternative options are “currently being explored by Michael Edwards.”
Regarding financial controls within the Premier League, Hogan stated that Liverpool remains committed to upholding strict regulations.
“I believe it’s crucial that the rules have real enforcement power, and if clubs breach them, the Premier League must have a process in place to address it. We support these regulations and are committed to sustainability,” he said.
However, he supported the league’s various stakeholders in seeking an alternative solution to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations, as discussions continue about aligning rules more closely with UEFA’s standards.
He also shared: “We are discussing specific strategies to bring about efficiency in the future.”
“we have won top domestic and world titles and received a lot of fan support, we need to try to maintain that in the future”
Liverpool are one of 10 clubs touring the United States, while others head to Asia or travel across Europe. He also addressed the environmental impact of these tours, which was highlighted in a recent BBC Sport report.
“”We’re holding our foundation event in Philadelphia, where we connect with our supporters and bring the club to fans and markets that might not otherwise have the chance to visit Anfield or Liverpool.”We take the overall environmental impact of these events very seriously.”
Liverpool will next take on Arsenal in Philadelphia before wrapping up their US tour with a match against Manchester United in South Carolina.