Liverpool owners FSG appoint baseball guru to advise on Jurgen Klopp's successor

03 February 2024 , 12:03

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Theo Epstein pictured with FSG owner John Henry in 2022. The former has now been appointed as senior advisor to the group and will help in the search for Liverpool's next manager.

Liverpool’s owners have appointed the baseball savant Theo Epstein as a senior advisor, with the mastermind behind World Series wins at two different franchises expected to be a key figure behind finding Jurgen Klopp ’s successor.

Epstein, who delivered a baseball title to the Boston Red Sox 20 years before going on to lead the Chicago Cubs to their first championship in 106 years in 2016, has also become a minority owner in Fenway Sports Group and he will provide guidance for all of the group’s sporting teams.

Beyond Liverpool and the Red Sox, FSG own the Pittsburgh Penguins ice hockey club, the motorsport RFK Racing team and Boston Common Golf.

Reports from the United States have said that Epstein will work closely with Mike Gordon, the FSG president, as he spearheads the search for Liverpool’s next manager. In a bombshell announcement last week, Klopp said that he would step down at the end of this season, citing burnout.

“I am thrilled and honoured to return to FSG,” Epstein said. “This is truly a unique opportunity for me - a chance to partner with people who mean a lot to me; a chance to challenge myself in new arenas; and a chance to use my experience and perspective to help others succeed and win at the highest level.

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“FSG is a dynamic, groundbreaking organisation with an incredible track record of accomplishment across sports. The special connection I feel toward this organisation and the ownership group has stayed with me through the years. I am proud and humbled to return as a minority owner and adviser.

“In this role, I will not be the one making decisions; rather, I’ll be the one asking questions, offering opinions, building trust, and supporting the terrific people at FSG to help us reach new heights.”

Epstein, 50, served as Red Sox general manager across two spells in the Noughties and subsequently moved to the Cubs. He has also spent time advising private equity firms and Major League Baseball on strategic decisions since leaving the Chicago team in 2020.

Jurgen Klopp will step down at the end of this season. (Getty Images)

FSG chief John Henry said: “There is no question that Theo left an indelible mark on our history that represented a transformative era,” Henry said in a news release. “Welcoming him as a member of our ownership group and in the role of senior advisor to the broader company brings with it a sense of completion.

“With his strategic mind, leadership, and unwavering passion for sports, Theo brings invaluable assets that will drive us forward across our diverse enterprises, especially in our sporting operations across hockey, EPL football, and baseball.

“We take great pride in welcoming him to the FSG family and eagerly anticipate the insights and contributions he will bring as we continue to build on the legacy of success he played a pivotal role in helping us shape.”

Alan Smith