Jurgen Klopp has offered a ringing endorsement of Jorge Schmadtke’s bid to be Liverpool’s new sporting director.
Schmadtke remains the forerunner to take over the role at Anfield when Julian Ward steps down at the end of this season after just 12 months.
If appointed, the 59-year-old would oversee the Reds’ planned squad rebuild alongside Klopp, CEO Billy Hogan and Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon.
But while Klopp is unable to confirm Schmadtke’s arrival, he insists that his compatriot would earn the job on merit rather than their prior connections.
He said: “I cannot speak about that but [about] what I heard.
“If that would happen it would not be a Jurgen Klopp signing because we are both German or know each other. That would have nothing to do with it.
“But I can say that Jorg Schmadtke I know for a long, long time. He knows me probably not as long as I know him because he was a much better player.
“We started in a similar moment our second careers.
“I became a coach at Mainz and he became a sporting director at Aachen, two teams of similar status. That’s where from there we know each other a little bit.
“I know he’s a good guy, a smart guy, very good at what he did in Germany, definitely. He’s a very successful character, has a good personality, good humour.
“I know that from a few moments next to the pitch and that’s it pretty much. But apart from that there’s nothing [else] I could say.
“I could [also] talk about Michael Zorc; similar age group, similar situation, just a bit longer in retirement. I know him much better [from Borussia Dortmund].
“There’s some good sporting directors in Germany, you might not believe.”