{
  "id": 10001437,
  "title": "Liverpool appoint Ward as new sporting director",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/liverpool-appoint-ward-as-new-sporting-director-10001437",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-26T14:23:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2026/09/26/liverpool-appoint-ward-as-new-sporting-director"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Liverpool has announced the appointment of Julian Ward as their new sporting director. Ward previously held the position of technical director at Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the majority owners of the English football club. He replaces Richard Hughes, who resigned from the role at the beginning of the month. FSG president Mike Gordon praised Ward's knowledge and expertise, stating that it will bolster the club's football operations and provide head coach Andoni Iraola with the necessary support as he continues to make a positive impact. Ward joined Liverpool in 2012 to work on the club's scouting, recruitment, and player development strategies. He expressed his appreciation for the club, highlighting his understanding of the demands and ambitions of Liverpool. Richard Hughes' departure followed his significant spending in the summer transfer window, where the club signed players like Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike for a total cost of £450 million (US$611 million). Under Hughes' two-year tenure, Liverpool achieved their record-equalling 20th English league title in the 2024/2025 season. FSG also recently sold a nearly 40% stake in the club to a consortium that includes Amazon's billionaire founder, Jeff Bezos.",
  "summary": "Julian Ward replaces Richard Hughes, who stepped down from the role at the start of this month.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Liverpool hires Julian Ward for second spell as sporting director",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/liverpool-hires-julian-ward-for-second-spell-as-sporting-director",
        "published": "2026-09-26T10:17:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Liverpool bring back Ward as sporting director",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/liverpool-bring-back-ward-as-sporting-director",
        "published": "2026-09-26T10:50:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Liverpool appoint Ward as new sporting director",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/liverpool-appoint-ward-as-new-sporting-director",
        "published": "2026-09-26T14:23:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}