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Director of European Recruitment


Lazlo78

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Apologies if this has been posted already - I skimmed the thread titles and couldn't see anything similar...

 

According to this Danish footy website, Jacob Friis-Hansen (who stepped down as Liverpool scout in January 2011) is the new Director of European Recruitment at SFC:

 

http://www.bold.dk/nyt/Friis-Hansen-skal-hjaelpe-Saints-i-PrL

 

My translation:

Friis-Hansen to help Saints reach the PrL

 

The former national team player Jakob Friis-Hansen has been appointed as Director of the European Recruitment in Southampton, a club with great traditions, which he will try to help reach the Premier League already next season.

 

The former national team player Jakob Friis-Hansen quit as scout of Liverpool in January but has now found a new and exciting job in Southampton, a club with great traditions, who recently ensured automatic promotion from League One to the Championship. Friis-Hansen has been appointed as Director of the European Recruitment with immediate effect.

 

- It's a newly created job function that hasn't been used in the club for some seasons now. I will be a kind of director of football on the European market. This means, I will be responsible for finding players and starting a scouting department with full-time and part-time employees. It's an incredibly exciting job and I am looking forward to get going, Friis-Hansen tells bold.dk

 

After 27 years in the finest league in England, Southampton were relegated in 2005 and subsequently took a slide down in the third best league in a period marked by great financial troubles. But both League One and financial troubles are in the past now, and Friis-Hansen will be under great pressure from day one.

 

- The Club has a clear ambition of getting directly to the Premier League, so we need to find five or six quality players over the summer. I will probably need to find three players that in theory are good enough for the Premier League, but have the mentality to play in the Championship in one or maximally two seasons, which is the time frame for promotion", says Friis-Hansen.

 

On the surface, this could sound like an overly ambitious target, but the club has the means and the facilities to make these dreams come true.

 

- The club is owned by the Swiss Liebherr family. They are incredibly rich and are aware that it will cost money. On short terms the goal is Premier League, but on the longer term they also want to play in the Champions League and be part of the top clubs in England. With their fortune backing them up the club is about the fifth richest club in England, so it is realistic - just look at Norwich who did it this year without the financial strength we have.

 

- Furthermore the club has an academy on line with the very best in England. They have developed players like Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale, which tells a lot about the quality. And there is a willingness to expand the academy, the facilities and the stadium if necessary.

 

The Southampton team is already very talented featuring players like Adam Lallana, Morgan Schneiderlin and not least teenager Alex Chamberlain. However, the latter Friis-Hansen expects to be sold for a hefty sum to a larger club within long.

Edited by Lazlo78
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Apologies if this has been posted already - I skimmed the thread titles and couldn't see anything similar...

 

According to this Danish footy website, Jacob Friis-Hansen (who stepped down as Liverpool scout in January 2011) is the new Director of European Recruitment at SFC:

 

http://www.bold.dk/nyt/Friis-Hansen-skal-hjaelpe-Saints-i-PrL

 

Translation of a few selected paragraphs:

""It's a new job title that hasn't been used in the club for some seasones. I will be a kind of sports director on the European market. This means, I will be responsible for finding players and starting a scouting-department with full time and part time employees. It's an incredibly exciting job and I am looking forward to get going", Friis-Hansen tells bold.dk"

 

[...]

 

""The Club has a clear ambition of getting to the PL, so we need to find five or six quality players over the summer. I will probably need to find three players that in theory are good enough for the PL, but has the mentality to play in the Championship in one or maximally two seasons, which is the time frame for promotion", says Friis-Hansen."

 

[...]

 

""The club is owned by the Liebherr family. They are incredibly rich and are aware that it will cost money. On short terms the goal is PL, but on the longer term they also want to play in the Champions League and be part of the top clubs in England. With their fortune backing them up they are about the fifth richest club in England, so it is realistic - look at Norwich who did it this year without the financial strength we have...""

 

""Furthermore the club has an academy on line with the very best in England. They have developed players like Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale, which tells a lot about the quality. And there is a willingness to expand the academy, the facilities and the stadium if necessary.""

 

"The SFC-team is already very talented with names like AL, MS and not least AOC. The latter Friis-Hansen expects to be sold to a larger club for a hefty sum within long..."

 

Superb read spoiled only by the last piece of text! Odd that we've not made any announcements about him though...

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Just asked my Liverpool supporting mate if he had ever heard of him (before I told him about the saints job/link)

 

He said he has an excellent rep and has been at Liverpool for some time. Unsurprisingly, was very strong in the scandanavian markets and sourced Hyypia, Riise, Henhoz, Littmanen etc.

 

Exciting times.

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Thanks Lazlo78.

Hope he hasn't miffed Mr C by talking to the press before the club have announced it.

 

What the professionals need to understand is that we have our own fans network of ears to the ground throughout the world, so even local press stuff is going to get out!

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Wow this sounds fantastic....certainly seems like we are going to be aiming for some real quality players.

Off the back of this news, don't be surprised if none of the out of contract Saints players get a deal as it is clear that we are looking at a higher calibre player from here on in.

Exciting times....people....genuinely i think this is the best time to be a Saints fan since i can remember...the club is going places

 

Im on board...anyone else on board the bus??...

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like the sound of this!

shows we mean business, employing somebody who has done well at liverpool. could mean we will be signing some players off most our "radars" in the near future as well as poaching some promising youngsters for the academy.

 

It's funny that it's acceptable when we do it, but when news comes out that Wenger is interested in our 16 year old academy star Luke Shaw, it's criminal and Wenger is the antichrist.

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It's funny that it's acceptable when we do it, but when news comes out that Wenger is interested in our 16 year old academy star Luke Shaw, it's criminal and Wenger is the antichrist.

 

Anything Jack Stephens-esque i am ok with, having paid some decent cash, and him seemingly having to leave, but Poaching, NO. We haven't enjoyed the crows circling out dying corpse and picking out our best bits!

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Anything Jack Stephens-esque i am ok with, having paid some decent cash, and him seemingly having to leave, but Poaching, NO. We haven't enjoyed the crows circling out dying corpse and picking out our best bits!

 

Theo Walcott - Swindon Town

Adam Lallana - Bournmeouth

Dexter Blackstock - Oxford United

Leon Best - Notts County

 

etc etc

 

Saints, like every other club in England does exactly the same to those smaller or less fortunate than themselves. Doesn't make it right, but if you tarnish one club as doing something "morally wrong", Saints have done the same to countless others.

 

Saints have also taken advantage in the last two seasons of major financial problems at Southend to sign Barnard, Oldham to sign Stephens and Charlton to sign Richardson.

Edited by Matthew Le God
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Sounds excellent. I'm happy to knock Cortese when I think he's done something wrong, so I'm more than happy to say well done at stuff like this.

 

Just hope the end product meets the hype that these kind of statements create. Also a bit surprised that he's been so open in these statements, highlighting how wealthy we are and stating that Chamberlain is likely to be off.............

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Another foundation built !

 

Despite all my reservations at the time, with hindsight I am so glad we went into administration which started the chain of events that brought the Liebherrs and NC to our club.

 

News just keeps getting better and better.

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It isn't just going to be him scouting Europe either, he will have his own department...

 

"I am responsible for finding players and create a scouting department with full-and part-time employees."

 

The club already has a number of scouts in England at both senior and academy level, this is the next level.

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wouldn't have thought anyone at the club would thank him for revealing that AOC is leaving soon - despite us all knowing it will probably happen sooner rather than later.

 

Yeah, I thought it was a strange way to finish the piece, not in keeping with the rest of his quotes about our ambition.

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Just asked my Liverpool supporting mate if he had ever heard of him (before I told him about the saints job/link)

 

He said he has an excellent rep and has been at Liverpool for some time. Unsurprisingly, was very strong in the scandanavian markets and sourced Hyypia, Riise, Henhoz, Littmanen etc.

 

Exciting times.

 

Jacob Friis-Hansen joined Liverpool in 2008.

 

Hypia signed in 1999 from a Dutch team, Riise in 2002 and was signed from Monaco, Henchoz in 1999 (is Swiss, not Scandiavian and was signed from Blackburn Rovers) and Jari Litmanen signed in 2001 from Barcelona!

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Sounds excellent. I'm happy to knock Cortese when I think he's done something wrong, so I'm more than happy to say well done at stuff like this.

 

Just hope the end product meets the hype that these kind of statements create. Also a bit surprised that he's been so open in these statements, highlighting how wealthy we are and stating that Chamberlain is likely to be off.............

 

All sounds promising but a fair bit could also have some translation issues. He could have been asked about the speculation on AOC from other clubs and he could have been agreeing that bigger clubs would no doubt be interested. Journo takes that as we are looking for offers and AOC will be off!

 

I think it would be more of a surprise if AOC is still with us at the end of the summer though. And I wouldnt be surprised if NC finds out about this report and has a fit on this new employee for spouting off more info than has previously been alloud.

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Jacob Friis-Hansen joined Liverpool in 2008.

 

Hypia signed in 1999 from a Dutch team, Riise in 2002 and was signed from Monaco, Henchoz in 1999 (is Swiss, not Scandiavian and was signed from Blackburn Rovers) and Jari Litmanen signed in 2001 from Barcelona!

 

:lol: Thank f**k we have a few bods on here like you to show up the absolute s**te that so many others post up.

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Sounds excellent. I'm happy to knock Cortese when I think he's done something wrong, so I'm more than happy to say well done at stuff like this.

 

Just hope the end product meets the hype that these kind of statements create. Also a bit surprised that he's been so open in these statements, highlighting how wealthy we are and stating that Chamberlain is likely to be off.............

 

Bit of a cultural difference there, I think. Still, I can't imagine that the AOC comments in particular going down too well at SFC Towers.

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From when he left Liverpool in January 2011...

 

"Jakob Friis-Hansen, along with five other scouts were terminated in Liverpool. The 43-year-old Dane will now leverage its strong network in a role as a scout or possibly sports director.

In 2008, Jakob Friis-Hansen under Rafa Benitez 'management employed as a scout for Liverpool FC, but after two-and-a-half years in the job he has now finished. Together with a further five scouts, he has been terminated.

 

- I have just signed the papers and finish at the club. It has been in the air that would happen, since Comolli (sporting director Damien Comolli, ed) was employed, so it does not come as a great surprise, says Jakob Friis-Hansen bold.dk and adds:

 

- Virtually everyone who has been employed under Benitez, has now finished at the club. This is also a couple of Spanish coaches. It is very natural that it happens when a new manager or sporting director to a club. We did never actually meet Comolli, but he has some other ideas, and it is basically fair enough. I've got a nice severance scheme and is free to start a new job.

 

The 43-year-old Dane looks confidently into the future. The time at Liverpool has equipped him with new challenges.

 

- I have built an enormously powerful network in my time at Liverpool. I worked regularly in Italy, Germany, Spain, Holland and France over the last few years, like I've got contacts in countries like Cameroon and Ghana.

 

- I'd really like to strengthen the network even more in the future with a job as a scout for a few years and I have also already received the first complaints from a couple of foreign clubs, "says Friis-Hansen, however, does not reject other positions.

 

- A job as sports director where it really affects what happens on the pitch and the players that are retrieved in, could well be interesting for me. I will not reject anything - not even in Denmark, says Friis Hansen, who has enjoyed his experience in England.

 

- I almost felt like playing again. You will travel around and meet many of the same people you played with and against that asset and it has been fantastic. Besides you do not lace the boots, it has almost been like back then, and I would still like to be a part of ending Friis-Hansen.

 

Jakob Friis-Hansen played as active in the B1903, Lyngby, Bordeaux, Lille and HSV, as he reached 19 games on the Danish national team. As a trainer, he has headed the HIK and Wexford Youths. "

 

http://www.bold.dk/nyt/Friis-Hansen-faerdig-i-Liverpool

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Looks like e played a fair bit in France during his career, so could well have a lot of contacts over there.

 

Can't think of too many outstanding foreign signings for Liverpool in the period he was there, maybe that's why he moved on?

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Jacob Friis-Hansen joined Liverpool in 2008.

 

Hypia signed in 1999 from a Dutch team, Riise in 2002 and was signed from Monaco, Henchoz in 1999 (is Swiss, not Scandiavian and was signed from Blackburn Rovers) and Jari Litmanen signed in 2001 from Barcelona!

 

Clearly I should never listen to my glory hunting Southern friend.

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How does one become a scout?

 

 

The odd woggle, couple of dib dib dibs and few badges ...and your there.

 

Or contact Dave Puckett, tell him you want to do some scouting. You only get paid expenses for travelling and have to attend the odd meeting and actually go to watch youth or kids football and that's about it.

 

You do get a % of transfer fees or signing on fees for any one you scout.

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I think it is now time for us to move on.

 

We are clearly now aiming to fly very high in the Football World.

 

We have the players jetting off to Vegas. We (appear) to have a new European Scouting Network.

 

So clearly a Bus is no longer going to cut it.

 

All about the getting onto the FLIGHT now

 

Airplane time I believe.

 

(Flashes of Nazareth and getting on this plane tonight spring to mind)

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