Liverpool are parting company with the throw-in coach who helped them become Premier League champions in 2020.
Danish coach Thomas Gronnemark, who first linked up with Jurgen Klopp’s squad in 2018, will not have his contract renewed after learning he will not have the time he wanted to work with the players.
Gronnemark, a former sprinter and bobsleigh rider, was contacted by Klopp five years ago when the Liverpool manager saw statistics that his side were the third-worst in the Premier League at throw-ins. They won the Champions League in their first season working with Gronnemark and 14 goals in their title-winning campaign of 2019-20 were traced to throws.
He visited Liverpool several times a season before lockdown, while also working with around 25 other clubs, including Ajax, Flamengo, Toulouse and Philadelphia Union, but said he made the greatest impact in his first two seasons when he was involved.
Gronnemark said on YouTube: “It has been five great years with Liverpool FC, we had great results: not only going from 18th for throw-ins to No 1 but winning all the club titles you can in Europe.
“We had two fantastic first seasons when I was first there where we won Champions League, Premier League and World Club Championships and I was visiting the club four or five times per season so I had a lot of time to work on the basics and go deep into the throw-in drills.
“But then we had a challenge with Covid-19 and it meant that suddenly from the 2020-21 season, the playing schedule was really tight and there were a lot of travel challenges so it was much easier, for example, to go to Mexico than England. For a couple of seasons, I was only there one time a season and for me, the throw-in level has been going from great to good. I don’t think I had enough time with the players.
“So I had to go back to four or five visits a season and that was my wish for the 2023-24 season and I talked with the club and they also wished for a change but to try for themselves. Thanks to Liverpool FC, it has been fantastic.”
