Jorg Schmadtke tipped to make return to football

Former Liverpool sporting director Jörg Schmadtke is reportedly close to returning to football, with strong links to Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach as they search for a new sporting director following Roland Virkus’s departure.

According to German reports, Schmadtke is considered a leading candidate for the role at Gladbach, where talks are underway with the club's executive and supervisory boards to appoint a new sports director. Besides Schmadtke, other candidates mentioned include Jonas Boldt, Nils-Ole Book, and Lutz Pfannenstiel, with the latter having recent experience in MLS. The possibility of Schmadtke working alongside Jan Schlaudraff, a former colleague from Wolfsburg, as a duo has also been discussed.

Schmadtke is well known in German football for his stints as sporting director at clubs such as Wolfsburg, Köln, Hannover, and Aachen. At Liverpool, he briefly served as interim sporting director, overseeing key signings like Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Wataru Endo. He has also held a supervisory role at VfL Bochum. His historical ties to Borussia Mönchengladbach run deep, having been an assistant coach under the current president Rainer Bonhof during Bonhof's head coaching period.

Gladbach's search for a replacement is evidently comprehensive, with initial exploratory talks already taking place with various figures including Pfannenstiel. The club aims to appoint either a sporting director or someone with a similar profile, depending on the candidate's strengths and interest.

Schmadtke has been out of work since stepping down from Liverpool in February 2024, making this potential move a significant step in his career comeback. The decision at Gladbach is anticipated in the near future as the club prepares for the next phase post-Virkus.