Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists the return of Michael Edwards as Fenway Sports Group’s chief executive of football will have no influence on his decision to leave the club at the end of the season.
The German, who says he no longer has the energy to lead the team, is set to depart Anfield in the summer, signalling the end of an era for the Merseyside club.
Owners FSG stepped up their succession planning this week by re-hiring former sporting director Edwards, the man who originally brought Klopp to the Premier League in 2015.
Edwards helped shape the most successful period in Liverpool's recent history, building the squad that won the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League the following year, signing players such as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Sadio Mane.
He left the club in 2022 but has been persuaded to return in a more senior role, with final say on all footballing matters.
Klopp, however, who was talking ahead of the Reds' Europa League last-16 second leg tie against Sparta Prague on Thursday night, revealed he had already to spoken to Edwards to reiterate his intention to leave.
“We had that conversation [about staying],” said Klopp. “Michael and I always had a really good relationship. Very good on a professional basis anyway. Really good.
“A lot of good things happened in the time when we were here together. Mike decided to do something else. Now he is back I'm really happy.
“I said a few times I want to see the club in the best possible place after I left. Everything I can do while I am here I will do. After other people will have to do it. It's a top solution. Our conversation was great.
“We spoke about a lot of things that I think about. Because I was in all the time while he was not in. What might have to change, these type of things. It's top news for the club.”
Asked if Edwards had tried to persuade him to stay, Klopp added: “No, because, and that's important in the job, he's not dumb. That's not a subject to talk about to be honest. Can you imagine I change my mind? Of course not. I cannot say what I said, about not having another club in England then sign for next year for our neighbours or whatever. It's crazy.
“I don't say these things without thinking before. It's not like I am now realising how great this club is. I know it's the best club in the world and I leave it anyway. I just want the club to do as good as somehow possible. I am really sure there is a good basis with the right people in charge. He is top choice.”
With his side leading 5-1 from the first leg, Klopp hinted at changes for the return against the Czech side at Anfield.
“The idea of the line-up will be to have the best legs for that game, because that's what we need,” he said. “We have to ignore the result [from the first leg]. We need to keep the rhythm and keep going.”
Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen and West Ham go into Thursday's fixtures both needing positive results to reach the quarter-finals after failing to win their first-leg ties.
A late Patrik Schick equaliser spared Leverkusen's blushes in Baku, and also maintained their unbeaten record this season, after Qarabag surprisingly held the Bundesliga leaders to a 2-2 draw.
“Maybe it's true that the result is more fortunate for us than for Qarabag. Great respect, they perhaps deserved a better result,” said Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso after the first leg.
German side Freiburg take a 1-0 lead to West Ham but will still need to defy the Hammers' impressive home record in Europe to progress.
Europa Conference League holders West Ham have won all 10 of their last 10 European games at the London Stadium, going back over the last two seasons.
“We'll do everything to try to turn it around. We'll have our crowd and atmosphere behind us,” said Hammers manager David Moyes.
Rangers host Benfica with the tie all to play for following an entertaining 2-2 draw in Lisbon, while Brighton look all but out after a 4-0 thrashing by Roma last week.
Sporting Lisbon will visit Italians Atalanta all square after holding the visitors to a 1-1 first-leg draw, despite Atalanta hitting the post three times.
Italian giants AC Milan go to Slavia Prague with a two-goal buffer, after winning 4-2 at the San Siro, and Marseille make the trip to Villarreal sitting four goals to the good following a dominant first-leg display.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
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Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
