A quick guide to Liverpool FC’s first-team coaching staff.
Manager: Jurgen Klopp
Appointed: October 2015 | Nationality: German
Klopp arrived at Liverpool following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers, and after a short sabbatical of his own following his departure from Borussia Dortmund the previous summer.
He’d spent seven years at Dortmund and led the German side to two league titles and a Champions League final.
Klopp began his coaching career at Mainz, where he spent the majority of his time as player, gaining promotion to the Bundesliga against the odds.
Assistant Manager: Peter Krawietz
Appointed: 2015 | Nationality: German
Krawietz is Klopp’s longest-serving lieutenant, working alongside the manager since their time at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.
The Liverpool boss famously nicknamed Krawietz ‘The Eye’, such is his attention to detail. Lots of his work is done behind the scenes, focused on analysis, scouting and set-pieces.
Assistant Manager: Pepijn Linders
Appointed: 2018 | Nationality: Dutch
The likeable Dutchman made a welcome return to the Reds in summer 2018, after six months away having taken charge of NEC Nijmegen in his homeland.
He initially joined the club in 2014 as the under-16s coach, being promoted to first-team development coach the following year.
A vocal presence at the AXA, very highly rated.
Elite Development Coach: Vitor Matos
Appointed: 2019 | Nationality: Portuguese
Matos, another former Porto coach, joined Liverpool in October 2019, taking up Lijnders’ former role as the bridge between the first team and the academy.
He keeps a close eye on Liverpool’s talent in the younger age groups, while also playing a prominent part in the creation of first-team training sessions.
Head of Goalkeeping: John Achterberg
Appointed: January 2011 | Nationality: Dutch
Initially a temporary appointment after the sacking of Roy Hodgson in January 2011, Achterberg’s promotion from the academy to first team was made permanent later that year under Kenny Dalglish.
The club’s longest-serving member of first-team staff, Achterberg took up the role of head of goalkeeping in 2021.
Assistant Goalkeeping Coach: Jack Robinson
Appointed: 2018 | Nationality: English
Liverpool appointed Robinson to take up a new role assisting Achterberg in 2018.
He joined the club from the FA, where he spent two-and-a-half years, after spells with Man United, Crystal Palace and Leeds.
Robinson works closely with the club’s first-team goalkeepers, including some of the academy graduates.
Goalkeeping Coach: Claudio Taffarel
Appointed: 2021 | Nationality: Brazilian
Taffa, as he’s known at the AXA Training Centre, joined Liverpool in December 2021, when the Reds decided to further boost their selection of goalkeeping coaches.
The famous ex-Brazil ‘keeper shares his duties between the Reds and the Brazilian national team, typically focusing on the younger members of Liverpool’s goalkeeping group.
He was Alisson‘s idol, with the pair working together for a number of years at international level.
Head of Fitness and Conditioning: Andreas Kornmayer
Appointed: July 2016 | Nationality: German
The German arrived at Liverpool from Bayern Munich – where he’d spent over 15 years – ahead of the 2016/17 season, during Klopp’s first summer in charge.
Kornmayer has played a key role under Klopp, ensuring the players’ fitness does not drop below the high standards demanded for his full-throttle style of football.
Head of Recovery and Performance: Dr Andreas Schlumberger
Appointed: 2020 | Nationality: German
Schlumberger was appointed in a newly created specialist role as head of recovery and performance in 2020.
The German previously worked with Klopp at Borussia Dortmund between 2011 and 2015, before roles with Bayern Munich, Borussia Monchengladbach and Schalke.
“If you would ask people in Germany, in this area – rehab, performance, recovery – he’s No. 1 in Germany,” Klopp said upon Schlumberger’s appointment.
Sporting Director: Jorg Schmadtke
Appointed: 2023 | Nationality: German
Former Hannover 96, FC Koln and Wolfsburg sporting director Schmadtke was brought into Liverpool on an initial short-term deal following the departure of Julian Ward.
Though he brought a spiky reputation with him from Germany, he has proved a strong fit for the Reds as he primarily focuses on transfer negotiations, including the signings of Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo.
Klopp and Schmadtke once faced each other as players, meeting on the pitch as Mainz beat Fortuna Dusseldorf in the 2.Bundesliga back in 1992!
Head of Nutrition: Mona Nemmer
Appointed: 2016 | Nationality: German
Formerly with Bayern Munich and Germany under-21s, Nemmer arrived in a new role that sees her play a key part in the player’s diets at the AXA and also at home.
She has revolutionised the eating habits of the club’s players and staff. She works closely on meal plans with the first-team squad, receiving plenty of admiration in the process.
Club Doctor: Jonathan Power
Appointed: 2022 | Nationality: English
Power took up his role as club doctor to end a long search for the successor to Dr Jim Moxon, who left the club abruptly on the eve of the 2022/23 season.
A boyhood Liverpool fan from West Derby, Power is now a regular on the bench at matchdays and oversees all medical matters when it comes to the first team.
Head Physio: Lee Nobes
Appointed: 2018 | Nationality: English
Having spent 11 years with Man City, Nobes worked under the likes of Sven-Goran Eriksson, Mark Hughes, Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola before joining Liverpool in 2018.
Jersey-born Nobes heads up the physiotherapy department and regularly provides treatment for players before and after matches.
First-Team Physio: Chris Morgan
Appointed: 2020 | Nationality: English
Popular physio Morgan was reappointed in 2020 after four years away from Liverpool, having previously spent a decade on Merseyside before stints at Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
He is often the first to attend to injured players on the pitch, providing treatment alongside club doctor Power.
Fitness Coach: Dr Conall Murtagh
Appointed: 2017 | Nationality: Northern Irish
After joining the academy in 2012, Murtagh took up first-team duties in 2017 and is a vital member of Klopp’s backroom team.
Murtagh was once a talented player of his own, representing Northern Ireland at all age groups up to under-21 level.
He played professionally at Hearts, Wrexham and The New Saints and is often seen making up the numbers in training matches with the first-team squad!
Rehabilitation Fitness Coach: Dr David Rydings
Appointed: 2011 | Nationality: English
Rydings may be a familiar face for those who keep a close eye on training, with the long-serving fitness coach most regularly seen leading players through recovery work after injury.
He earned his role at Liverpool through a fast-track practitioner partnership with John Moores University.
Assistant Fitness Coach: Jordan Fairclough
Appointed: 2019 | Nationality: English
Another regular in training, Fairclough assists Murtagh and Rydings in fitness and rehabilitation coaching.
He was part of the Nottingham Forest academy as a player, while he now trains as a track and field sprinter alongside his work on and off the training pitch at the AXA.