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Tag: Billy Hogan

A ‘post-Klopp reset’ is taking place at Liverpool.

According to Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan, the team is going through a “post-Jurgen Klopp reset” with new head coach Arne Slot leading the Reds’ redesigned football system.

Since Klopp, who has won seven major awards in nine years, announced his resignation in January, the club has made a number of behind-the-scenes adjustments at Anfield.

The 45-year-old Slot has taken the place of the German, but the parent company of Liverpool, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), has rehired former executives Michael Edwards and Julian Ward, who departed in 2022, to create a new organisational structure that will oversee strategy for the organization’s president, Mike Gordon, and principle owner John W. Henry.

Head of Merseyside business Hogan told BBC Sport that Klopp’s exit had “provided an opportunity for a reboot or reset and maybe to look at how things operate going forward.”

“Jurgen departing was a seismic decision, but clearly the right decision for him and his family, so by extension the right decision for the club,” said Hogan, who is known to have a tight personal bond with Klopp.

“I believe he has accomplished his goal of leaving the club in a better state than when he arrived, since he made that very plain. His statement came at a time that allowed us to follow the correct procedures.”

In the background, Liverpool has hired Pedro Marques from Benfica as technical director and Richard Hughes from Bournemouth as sporting director, who Hogan claims will provide “new energy and vision.”

Although FSG will continue to investigate a multi-team system, Hughes and Marques will only concentrate on transfers and helping Slot following the breakdown of negotiations with French club Bordeaux due to unresolved concerns.

Hogan expressed his sadness for Bordeaux’s bankruptcy filing, saying that Michael Edwards is “looking at” other options.

Regarding Premier League financial controls, Hogan stated that Liverpool is still dedicated to strict regulations.

Regarding Premier League financial controls, Hogan stated that Liverpool is still dedicated to strict regulations.

“It is crucial, in my opinion, that the regulations be enforced strictly, and that the Premier League will take appropriate action if clubs violate them. “We are in favour of those regulations and sustainability,” he declared.

However, when laws more akin to UEFA’s are being proposed, he supported the various interests inside the league to find an alternate solution to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability criteria.

“We are trying to find the best way to operate for all of us going forward,” he said.

“We have the most competitive and global league, and it’s important we keep it that way.”

He talked on the environmental effects of these tours, which were covered in length in a recent BBC Sport report. Liverpool is one of ten clubs touring the United States; the other clubs are going to Asia or throughout Europe.

“We’re holding the foundation event in Philadelphia, where a group of people are interacting with our fans and introducing the team to markets and supporters who might not otherwise have the chance to visit Anfield or Liverpool.

We consider the total influence on the environment to be very important.” Liverpool’s US tour continues with matches against Arsenal in Philadelphia and Manchester United in South Carolina.

July 31, 2024
Billy Hogan speaks out on future plans for Liverpool and FSG criticism

Billy Hogan claims that the owners of Liverpool continue to take a sustainable approach.

Billy Hogan, the chief executive of Liverpool, has described how the Reds’ leadership group at Fenway Sports Group responds to criticism.

After purchasing the club for £300 million from the wildly unpopular Tom Hicks and George Gillett, John Henry and Tom Werner’s company, then known as New England Sports Ventures, has been in charge of Liverpool for 13 years.

The club has undergone significant change in the years since the takeover, both on and off the field, with the value of Liverpool now surpassing £4 billion, the capacity of a world-class Anfield set to increase to 61,000 in the coming weeks, up 15,000 from 2010, a balance sheet that is one of the strongest in European football, with revenues pushing £600 million per year, and victories in the Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, and EFL Cup.

The club has undergone significant change in the years since the takeover, both on and off the field, with the value of Liverpool now surpassing £4 billion, the capacity of a world-class Anfield set to increase to 61,000 in the coming weeks, up 15,000 from 2010, a balance sheet that is one of the strongest in European football, with revenues pushing £600 million per year, and victories in the Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, and EFL Cup.

Although Liverpool has been the only team in recent years to seriously challenge Manchester City’s dominance on the domestic and European stage, FSG has long faced criticism for their underinvestment in comparison to some of their rivals, with the owners’ emphasis on a sustainable business model being perceived as something of a handbrake in terms of Jurgen Klopp delivering even more than he already has in terms of hardware.

Hogan was in charge of guiding the Reds through the uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 when he joined the company as CEO in 2020, replacing Peter Moore who had served during the pandemic.

Hogan, who was a member of the FSG team that bought the Reds and has been employed full-time by the team since 2012, is in charge of managing the club’s operations on a daily basis.

Criticism is a part of the job at a major international sporting club like Liverpool, with a legion of fans numbering in the millions worldwide. FSG has had to deal with criticism quite a bit.

Hogan discussed how he, and ultimately FSG, handle pressure and criticism in an August interview with the SportsPro Media Podcast as part of its “Ask a CEO” series.

You receive a weekly assessment of your performance on the field, he said.

“The pressure of performance and winning can sometimes be overwhelming on the field, but that’s just a part of the passion and energy from our perspective, and I definitely count myself extremely fortunate to be in the position I’m in.
At Liverpool, we have a similar mentality; we are focused on bringing home hardware.

“We have had great success over the past few years, and we intend to keep doing so.

“That (criticism) is a necessary component of the job.

Being focused on our goals is, in my opinion, the most crucial factor from both a personal and club perspective.

For a variety of reasons, games can sometimes end differently. Additionally, we must maintain our attention on our long-term goals, which ultimately revolve around running the club as efficiently as possible. “.

Hogan reiterated the FSG position on sustainability, which holds that the club’s success off the field directly affects what occurs there and vice versa.

Liverpool is a successful football team that challenges for and ultimately wins trophies, and in order to do that, they need commercial success to fund recruitment. This success gives Liverpool leverage in business deals.

Hogan continued, “From a sustainable perspective, everything we do is in the club’s best interests.
It’s inevitable that there will be criticism and pressure, but working in a place as openly visible as Liverpool means one must expect it.

“It comes with the territory; you must keep working hard, keep moving forward, and continue doing what you can for the club.

“The team I work with has a strong sense of caring. Of course they care about the outcomes on the field, but they also care deeply about the club itself and acting in the club’s best interests.

September 26, 2023
President confirms contact with Liverpool regarding Andre – suggests January transfer

Liverpool made an informal approach to Fluminense midfielder Andre this summer, the club president confirmed, but were told to wait.

As part of Jürgen Klopp’s summer midfield rebuild, Brazilian all-rounder Andre has proved a compelling target.

The links began during tough negotiations with Southampton over Romeo Lavia, with the Fluminense player touted as an alternative, and calls were subsequently made for a £25 million bid.

But approaches for Andre were rebuffed as the 22-year-old and his club both decided to push for silverware in Serie A and the Copa Libertadores.

Any chance of a late match for the midfielder on deadline day last week was eliminated when Fluminense defeated Olimpia to reach the semi-finals of the South American equivalent of the Champions League.

The Fluminense chairman detailed his brief talks with Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan and revealed he was open to transfer negotiations in January.

Billy Hogan

“Liverpool’s managing director contacted me directly.
And I said to him: ‘My friend, I am not selling players at the moment and I am not delivering at the moment,’” Mario Bittencourt told ESPN via O Globo.

“[I told him], ‘If you want to buy it now to record it in January, we can start talking, or if you want to wait until December, we’ll talk in December.’”

Bittencourt’s comments are certainly in line with reports in England and Brazil about Liverpool’s pursuit of Andre and confirm the club’s interest.

It remains to be seen whether the Reds will return for the Brazil international before the January transfer window as there are conflicting reports over their plans.

But it arguably made more sense to sign Andre at the end of the Fluminense season than in the summer, as he finds himself in the middle of a busy season.

After beating Fortaleza 1-0 on Sunday, Andre has made 43 appearances this season, spending 3,703 minutes on the pitch with a chance to add 19 more matches.

Last season, Mohamed Salah played the most games for Liverpool with 51 and 4,301 minutes.

So if Andre’s transfer is sealed in January, perhaps not much can be expected from the player ahead of a lengthy layoff and his first pre-season – something Klopp would consider before approving a deal.

More news…….

Despite Manchester United’s interest, the “exceptional” player had his heart set on moving to Liverpool this summer.

Ryan Gravenberch was interested in playing for Manchester United during the transfer window, but he has always had his heart set on joining Liverpool this summer.

According to a story from The Athletic, Bayern Munich only modified its position on selling the Dutchman 72 hours prior to the deadline.

The last acquisition for Liverpool during the window was Ryan Gravenberch.
After struggling at Bayern, the 21-year-old transferred in a £34 million deal.

He was having a lot of success in spite of his difficulties.
Gravenberch was obviously a target for Liverpool. But in their own search for a central midfielder, Manchester United also had their eyes on him.

Despite Manchester United’s interest, Gravenberch only had eyes for Liverpool.

Gravenberch reportedly only had eyes for Liverpool, according to The Athletic.
Before the deadline, Sofyan Amrabat would eventually be with Erik ten Hag.

According to The Athletic, some Liverpool employees have compared Gravenberch and Gini Wijnaldum.
Prior to the switch, he had lengthy conversations with Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk.

And it appears that the youngster was very interested in the opportunity to work with Jurgen Klopp. Gravenberch is a player with “exceptional talent,” according to Klopp.

Liverpool should be commended greatly for how they entered the window.
They lost so many midfielders, who were crucial to the team before.

And the new players appear to have a lot of potential.
Dominik Szoboszlai is off to an excellent start in Merseyside.
In the Premier League, Alexis Mac Allister has already demonstrated his abilities.

Wataru Endo could end up being an undervalued acquisition. Gravenberch is incredibly talented, too.
Therefore, there is already a fascinating group in the middle of the park for Liverpool.

Given how little Gravenberch did play for Bayern, it might take some time.
However, it seems that both Liverpool and the player honestly believe that the transfer is the best possible outcome for everyone involved.

September 8, 2023