For nearly a decade, Jurgen Klopp was the heartbeat of Liverpool. His energy, his vision, and his voice shaped almost every corner of the club.
But behind the smiles, hugs, and famous fist pumps, some quiet tensions reportedly brewed at Anfield — tensions about who really called the shots when it came to transfers.
When Michael Edwards and Julian Ward — Liverpool’s former sporting directors (at that time) — stepped down, many fans began to wonder: was Klopp’s growing power part of the reason?
The fine line between trust and control
According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, Klopp’s influence “increased across a host of different areas, including recruitment.” The longer he succeeded, the more trust he earned — and the more weight his opinions carried.
A clear example was the signing of Darwin Nunez in 2022. Pearce noted that the move was “predominantly pushed by Klopp,” even though Liverpool’s famous data team favored other names like Christopher Nkunku and Alexander Isak.
Ian Graham, the club’s former director of research, later admitted that the Nunez deal “wasn’t a data-driven decision.”
That was unusual for Liverpool — a club built on data, planning, and precision. Apparently, some within the setup weren’t entirely comfortable with that shift.
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Was there really a rift at Liverpool between Jurgen Klopp and Sporting Directors?
Despite the whispers, Pearce has made it clear: “There was friction at times, but no big bust-ups that I’m aware of.”
It wasn’t a cold war — more like professional fatigue. Edwards and Ward, after over a decade of intense work, reportedly stepped away because they were simply burned out.
When Klopp’s departure was later announced, both men returned — but not as a reaction to the manager’s exit.
Edwards came back to oversee all of Fenway Sports Group’s football operations, while Ward joined as FSG’s technical director. In short, it was business — not bad blood.
With Michael Edwards now leading FSG’s broader football portfolio and Arne Slot at the helm, Liverpool have already won a Premier League title. Klopp’s shadow will linger, but the Reds are once again focusing on structure over sentiment.
And while Klopp’s passion sometimes overstepped the spreadsheets, it’s hard to argue with what it achieved — six trophies and a lifetime of memories.
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