Another surprise exit at Liverpool | OneFootball

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© IMAGO - Arne Slot Richard Hughes Liverpool FC Transfers 2024-25

Arne Slot's backroom team is evolving

Analysts and other members of the recruitment team have take up new roles and the impact of those losses is going to be relatively minimal. Fans will have known little about the work they do.

But John Heitinga - Slot's assistant coach - was certainly a notable loss, as he joined Ajax to take up a more senior position as their head coach. It was an opportunity he simply couldn't pass up.

He has since been replaced with another Dutchman, former Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

And beyond that swap, we have seen changes in the goalkeeping department as well. Alisson's main aid Claudio Taffarel has left in favour of spending more time back in Brazil and Fabian Otte - the head of the division has also left to explore pastures new, leaving two openings that were swiftly filled.

Xavi Valero will take over proceedings, returning to the club for the first time since he worked under Rafa Benitez in 2007. The pair followed each other and Liverpool's staff has evolved over time.

We've even seen former assistant coach Pep Lijnders join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, and while the Dutchman has been away from the club for over a year, his moved has created headlines.

At this point, it felt right that Liverpool's staff were all set and ready to go into the next season, but today, yet another one has left. This time, it is Diogo Paiva, who is moving to Porto to become an assistant and head up their individual player development programme, per Sebastian Sousa-Pinto.

In a post on LinkedIn, he wrote: "This club has been more than just a place of work. It has been a home, a family. Liverpool has given me so much, and I have been embraced with warmth and support throughout my time here. It's a great club that will always hold a special place in my heart."

Of course, the impact of this move may be lost on many Liverpool fans, but the club is slowly making changes that will further enhance its operations, headed by Slot as the first-team coach.