The Perfect Start by LFC’s New Sporting Director, Jörg Schmadtke
We were all having a little quip, wondering what our new director of football would bring to Liverpool Football Club following his surprise appointment in Julian Ward’s place. Our outgoing sporting director’s final act was to secure the magnificent signing of Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister to beautifully usher in our window of change.
The move set the bar very high for his successor, as a modest transfer fee (around £40m) was agreed for one of Argentina’s key world champions. The mere fact that such a remarkable deal could be secured (although Michael Edwards’ former assistant was in his final days) likely made some Liverpool fans wonder if we were losing the man who was able to oversee a brilliant summer of recruitment.
Then suddenly Jörg Schmadtke came out of the German wilderness and his first words were (metaphorically): “Hold my beer”…
I have written about the importance of having a new sporting director who knows how to deal with medium to good level clubs which tend to pass on their primary wealth for good fees. The likes of Micky van de Ven and Manu Kone seem like the likely names to be targeted by the scouting department as well, so bringing in former Wolfsburg DOF to coordinate our summer deals was logical.
Although Khéphren Thuram is likely to be the next newcomer to Anfield, his current club Nice is still a footballing entity living at the same level as Jörg Schmadtke before him. This new recruiting drive is something that has been planned and can now be orchestrated with confidence, especially given the 58-year-old’s first act has more than matched his predecessor’s latest effort.
For some supporters, the name Dominik Szoboszlai doesn’t mean much. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being ignorant to players from different countries and foreign leagues. However, it is quirky (though often entertaining) to belittle the qualities of a professional footballer that carry little to no weight. Last night I caught myself scrolling through some threads in anticipation of the tweet confirming the signing of the outstanding young talent from RB Leipzig.
What I found instead was a crowd of Manchester United and Arsenal fans (it’s hard to find City fans, there aren’t many) downplaying the overpay and rejecting any comparison to Mason Mount and Declan Rice respectively. Having watched and admired this magnificent Hungarian superstar on many occasions, I (like many others in the Anfield Index group) was both shocked and excited to hear the news that he was indeed going to Liverpool.
This is a commitment that far exceeds my expectations as this is a true elite player. To see such a physical specimen and such incredible talent paired with our very own Jurgen Klopp is football paradise in the truest sense of the word. It will be fun to see him join our team but it’s the brilliant journey we took to get to him that was so impressive.
June 30 marked the last date by which the former RB Salzburg player could be signed for his release clause. This amount of 70 million euros had to be reached by that date, otherwise he would have become a player who would have ended up earning over 100 million euros. That Joerg waited until the very last day of that clause (to make his official move) is a delightful tactic that would have left many admirers idle. At this point in time, the contacts and knowledge of the former CEO of 1. FC Köln in his former area of activity meant that certain personal negotiations could be clarified long in advance.
The final measure was then to trigger this release clause and remove all bargaining power from RB Leipzig. The fast-paced endeavor turned into a breathtaking experience for all Liverpool fans, knowing full well that by midnight the RBL would be asking far more from any other applicants who had missed the deadline. I would imagine that certain terms were agreed that allowed the niceties and medical examinations to be carried out, but essentially the deal was sealed within hours. I also imagine that all hurdles and obstacles were removed and all issues resolved to ensure a clear path to success, which now keeps me wholeheartedly on Jörg Schmadtke’s side.
As of this writing I have no signal and it is a pleasure to enjoy the fact that I should be returning home for the arrival (on Merseyside) of Dominik Szoboszlai. Whether or not he will take on the legendary number eight shirt is not yet known, but it is clear and obvious that our new sporting director is here to do business and that is something he clearly wants to achieve.
ALHAMDULILLAH
JÖRG SCHMADTKE MY IDOLLLLLLLL https://t.co/biBIMDXb2G
– كريم (@kxreemasr) June 30, 2023
