Michael Edwards has stepped down as Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football after serving his notice period, bringing an end to a short but significant return that was designed to help guide Liverpool through the post-Jurgen Klopp transition.
The move leaves FSG with a major decision over how to structure its football leadership, but the expectation is that the group will not look to appoint a direct replacement. Instead, Mike Gordon is set to resume control of football operations.
A return built around transition
Edwards was brought back in 2024 to oversee one of the most important periods in Liverpool’s recent history. His appointment came after Jurgen Klopp’s era had reached its conclusion, with FSG wanting experienced leadership at the top of the football structure.
That role also tied into broader thinking at the ownership level. Edwards’ return was linked to FSG’s interest in a multi-club model, something that was central to convincing him to accept the newly created position of CEO of football.
But the picture has changed. Last autumn, Edwards informed the FSG hierarchy that he intended to step down, and he has now completed his notice period.
What happens next at FSG?
The key question now is not only why Edwards left, but how FSG responds. The group is unlikely to recruit a replacement, which makes Gordon’s return to control especially important.
Edwards’ record at Liverpool gives context to why his departure matters. He joined from Tottenham Hotspur in November 2011 as head of performance analysis, became sporting director in 2016 and was part of the leadership structure when Liverpool were crowned champions of Europe in 2019.
He later stepped down as sporting director in 2022 and rejected around a dozen job offers before returning to FSG in 2024. That history underlines how highly regarded he has been, and why his latest departure is a notable moment for football operations at the club’s ownership group.
FSG had already started to shift its thinking in the spring, with The Athletic reporting in March that plans to buy a second club had effectively been shelved. Then, last week, the same outlet reported that Richard Hughes is also set to move on later this year.
For now, the direction is clear: Michael Edwards is out, Mike Gordon is expected back in charge, and FSG’s football operation is entering another period of change.
