Jorg Schmadtke has been appointed as Liverpool's new sporting director.
The position was previously held by Julian Ward but the 41-year-old waved goodbye to the Reds leave having only replaced Michael Edwards last summer.
Liverpool are currently preparing for what's set to be a vital transfer window for the club, with midfield expected to be an area of focus, and will want to plan prompt signings for players of interest identified.
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The person who will now lead the way for the Reds in this department is Schmadtke. But who is he? For all the information you need to know regarding the 59-year-old, keep reading below...
Jorg Schmadtke career
Schmadtke spent his playing days as a goalkeeper in Germany, retiring in 1998 after a 13-year career between the sticks.
Between the years of 1985 and 1993, he represented Fortuna Dusseldorf and made more than 200 appearances for the club before moving on to Freiburg. There, he spent four years and finished third in the Bundesliga during his second season.
Additional moves to Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach arose before eventually hanging up his boots.
Sporting director history
Three years after retiring as a player, Schmadtke was back in the football world as he took up a sporting director post at Aachen FC. Facing extreme financial difficulties at the time, the 59-year-old played a part in rebuilding the club as it battled its way back from the brink.
Aachen reached the final of the German Cup during the 2004/05 season and then ended their 36-year exile from the German top-flight the following year after earning promotion.
A next opportunity arose at Hannover 96 in 2009, where he remained until June 2013, and was again involved in a sporting project that brought the best out of the team. Hannover finished fourth in the Bundesliga during his season year at the club, before reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League the following campaign as a result. Key signings secure during this period included striker Mame Biram Diouf, who scored 35 times in 71 appearances, and goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler, who established himself as a key figure over a number of years.
Stepping away from Hannover at his own discretion, FC Köln became Schmadtke's new home ahead of the 2013/14 season. Promotion to the top tier was secured his first year and the club exceeded expectations both on and off the pitch for a prolonged period, with a high point being a fifth-placed league finish in 2015/16.
A key player for Koln during Schmadtke's stay was French forward Anthony Modeste, signed from Hoffenheim ahead of the 2015/16 campaign and would go on to score 45 times in 73 appearances before earning a switch to the Chinese Super League.
Schmadtke's most recent position saw him operating at Wolfsburg and helped bring current Manchester striker Wout Weghorst to the club shortly after his arrival. Weghorst scored 17 goals in his maiden Bundesliga term, adding 16 and then 20 in the following two seasons. The acquisition of French defender Maxence Lacroix from Sochaux in 2020 has also proven to be an inspired piece of transfer business.
Wolfsburg secured top-half Bundesliga finishes in three of the four seasons Schmadtke spent with the Wolves, with fourth place in 2020/21 a standout moment. His departure from the club was confirmed at the start of this year, however, formally leaving in February.
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