Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group are close to securing the appointment of Benfica technical director Pedro Marques ahead of a new era at Anfield, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
The Reds are prepared for a summer of transition after head coach Jurgen Klopp announced in January that he would be leaving his post at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Michael Edwards and incoming sporting director Richard Hughes will head up the search for a worthy successor to the head coach over the coming months. Meanwhile, FSG are looking at changing the structure of Liverpool, having already made several key appointments in the last few months.
FSG ‘close’ to Pedro Marques appointment
The potential hire is seen as a big ‘coup’
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Fenway Sports Group are edging closer to the appointment of Pedro Marques, who is currently operating as Benfica’s technical director. In March, the same journalist revealed that the American owners were working on the 41-year-old’s hire.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Over the last six years, Marques has seen Benfica raise £275m in player sales.
FSG have already moved to re-appoint former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards as the company’s chief executive of football operations. Edwards has secured his first hire at Anfield, appointing AFC Bournemouth technical director Richard Hughes as the Reds’ Jorg Schmadtke replacement, who left his post as sporting director at the end of the 2024 winter transfer window.
Marques will work for FSG rather than Liverpool and will oversee the company’s second club operation. The former Manchester City first team analyst is seen as a big coup for the organisation. The Benfica director is well known to Liverpool after the two clubs negotiated a deal for striker Darwin Nunez to move to Anfield in the summer of 2022. Revealing the latest developments on X, Ornstein said:
“Pedro Marques’ appointment to key role in new FSG set-up close to being confirmed. Benfica technical director another recruit by Liverpool owners after Michael Edwards (CEO of football). 41yo has strong reputation + seen as big coup.”
Marques’ career so far
FSG’s imminent appointment has Premier League experience
Marques has plenty of multi-club experience from his time working for the City Football Group. The Portuguese worked as a first team performance analyst at Manchester City. Marques then swapped that role to a ‘coaching and analysis lead post’ for CFG, which has ties in clubs such as Girona, Melbourne City, as well as the Sky Blues and eight other clubs around the world.
Given FSG’s desire for a multi-club model, they could view Marques as the perfect individual to oversee a huge operation at the American company, alongside Michael Edwards. However, the latter will also have to keep an eye on the current situation at Liverpool and will be eager to see Richard Hughes secure a managerial successor to Jurgen Klopp sooner rather than later.
