Michael Edwards’ return to Liverpool has been celebrated by many Reds fans, but one of the 44-year-old’s plans for the club has met with disapproval in some quarters.
The former sporting director is now back at Anfield in the new role of CEO of Football, and as per James Pearce for The Athletic, one of the biggest factors in enticing him to return is the intention to acquire new clubs to add to FSG’s ownership portfolio, which he’d also oversee in addition to his work at LFC.
Taking to X in response to a tweet from the journalist sharing that article, Bundesliga commentator and Liverpool supporter Kevin Hatchard voiced his opposition to the plans for Edwards to become involved in multi-club ownership (MCO).
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He posted: “I was really excited about Edwards coming back to #lfc until I read this. Multi-club ownership should be resisted at all opportunities, and as a fan I really don’t want Liverpool involved in it.”
A follow-up tweet read: “I still think Edwards’ return is exciting, but it’s amazing how many fans are already brainwashed by the idea that if you don’t subjugate other clubs, you’ll somehow be left behind. It’s nonsense. If your academy is strong and you use the loan system, you don’t need to do this.”
I still think Edwards’ return is exciting, but it’s amazing how many fans are already brainwashed by the idea that if you don’t subjugate other clubs, you’ll somehow be left behind. It’s nonsense. If your academy is strong and you use the loan system, you don’t need to do this. https://t.co/LtOXepork4
— Kevin Hatchard 🎙⚽️ (@kevinhatchard) March 12, 2024
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MCO has been a growing trend throughout the world of football in modern times, with the City Football Group and the Red Bull network two standout examples.
The intentions behind this practice are to establish connections in various markets throughout the globe to provide easier access to emerging talent, and also to create relationships to facilitate loan moves.
However, in some instances there can be one distinct flagship club within a particular model (Manchester City being the obvious case in point), and supporters of the ‘feeder’ teams can understandably be offended by the notion that their side exists merely to serve a more heavily resourced partner.
MCO also carries the risk of a club being denied entry into European competition due to the presence of another from the same portfolio being involved in the same tournament, thus creating the potential for a conflict of interest.
Hatchard’s stance has been replicated by many Liverpool fans on social media, and justifiably so. As the commentator rightly points out, the Reds have an academy which is more than productive enough to avoid this unpopular practice, and we’ve managed to compete with the elite for a number of years without resorting to any multi-club arrangements.