Michael Edwards has resigned his position as the CEO of Football for Fenway Sports Group, departing Liverpool with immediate effect despite having an additional year left on his contract. The news was released on Friday, the 10th of July, 2026, in a statement from FSG, sending fresh shock to the club already navigating a summer of major change.
In 2024, FSG brought Edwards back after his initial departure, not as sporting director this time, but in a newly created role: CEO of Football. His function was different from before, with Edwards being tasked with helping FSG expand its footprint by acquiring a second football club.
FSG explored more than 20 clubs for possible acquisition, including the French side Bordeaux and Spanish Primera División club Málaga, according to reports.
None of those deals materialised, and earlier this year FSG postponed its plans to add a second club to its portfolio. Sources told ESPN that Edwards had grown frustrated with the lack of progress, despite the board’s efforts to convince him to stay.
FSG described his exit differently in its official statement, calling it “the culmination of a planned transition following the completion of key strategic priorities.”
In Edwards’ statement on his departure, he said: “It has been a privilege to return to Fenway Sports Group and Liverpool Football Club at such an important moment.
“I leave believing Liverpool is in a strong position, with outstanding people, a clear direction and the foundations in place for continued success.
“When I returned, I was excited not only by the opportunity to help guide Liverpool through an important period of transition, but also by the chance to help shape FSG’s wider football ambitions.
“While that broader project ultimately evolved differently to how we had originally envisaged, I am proud of the work our team undertook in presenting ownership with a broad range of thoughtful and well-developed options for the future.
“I’d like to thank Mike, John, Tom and everyone across FSG and Liverpool for their support and friendship and, most importantly, the supporters, whose passion makes this club so special.
“I will always be grateful to have been part of its story.”
Following Edwards’ departure, FSG president Mike Gordon is expected to take a more active role in Liverpool’s daily operations. The exit adds to a summer of great significance at Anfield, where the former head coach Arne Slot has already been replaced by former AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.
Sporting director Richard Hughes, who appointed Iraola, also faces uncertainty over his long term future, with his contract running through 2027, and so the club is expected to fill in a new candidate for the role.
Edwards departs having played a crucial role in Liverpool’s football operations during a period that included a Premier League title in 2025. His exit marks the end of a second and final chapter at the club, having first left in 2022 before returning two years later. FSG has not yet announced a replacement or named who will assume Edwards’ responsibilities permanently.
