Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), has made a significant off-field appointment, bringing in Laurie Shaw, after he left his role as director of soccer data at City Football Group (CFG), which owns Manchester City as well as a host of other clubs around the world.
Shaw is expected to begin his role with FSG in the coming weeks after being placed on gardening leave by CFG in January, having joined the organization in 2021.
The Athletic reports that Shaw’s role at FSG will see him work across multiple sports. The American group has stakes in Major League Baseball outfit, the Boston Red Sox; the National Hockey League team’s Pittsburgh Penguins; Boston Common Golf of The Golf League; and RFK Racing in NASCAR.
Shaw was a research scientist and lecturer at Harvard University before joining CFG’s data insights and decision technology team four years ago. Shaw initially joined CFG as its head of AI before being appointed director of soccer data in September 2023.
Liverpool has operated with a heavily data-led approach in all areas over the last decade or so, and its impact on recruitment has been credited with a key role in the success the team has enjoyed on the pitch.
Data analysis was a key factor in Liverpool signing Mohamed Salah in 2017, for example, when the club convinced Jurgen Klopp that the Egyptian was a far better option than Julian Brandt, the German youngster who Klopp had originally preferred to sign.
That same data-driven approach played an important role in the club selecting Arne Slot as Klopp’s successor when the legendary boss walked away from Liverpool after nearly nine years in charge last summer.
Michael Edwards, in his role as Liverpool’s sporting director between 2016 and 2022, spearheaded the club’s data-led approach to recruitment alongside former head of research Ian Graham, and Edwards returned to the club last year as FSG’s chief executive of soccer, tasked with helping the club to develop a multi-club soccer model.
FSG is aiming to develop a multi-club model similar to CFG’s, and is currently exploring the possibility of buying Spanish Segunda Division side Malaga, while the group also previously looked into buying French side Bordeaux. Both Malaga and Bordeaux have experienced financial issues in recent years.
CFG, meanwhile, owns or has significant stakes in several football clubs, including Manchester City, New York City FC, Melbourne City FC, Girona, Yokohama F. Marinos, Montevideo City Torque, Mumbai City FC, Lommel SK, Troyes, Palermo and Bahia.
