Liverpool sign Bayern Munich's fitness coach for next season
Ahead of an expected reshuffle in the summer, Liverpool have made a key signing from Bayern Munich that is expected to help them compete for major honours next season. The Reds have signed Bayern’s head of fitness and conditioning, Andreas Kornmayer to fill a significant gap in their backroom staff.
In what will be a major boost for Liverpool, Kornmayer will replace Rylands Morgan, who was supposed to be out of contract at the end of the season, but unexpectedly quit his post two weeks back. Under 21s coach, Andy O’ Boyle has been taking fitness and conditioning sessions for the first team and will continue to do so till the end of the season.
Kornmayer has worked with Bayern Munich for more than a decade of his professional career and looked over the conditioning regime of the German champions. He was an integral part of the backroom staff with Jupp Heynckes and Pep Guardiola. He is expected to take over his duties with Liverpool in time for the pre-season tour to the United States of America.
Kornmayer, who is often mistaken for Klopp with a similar beard and glasses look, has been credited with helping Mario Gotze get back into action as soon as possible from a back injury. Liverpool are also supposed to be in the hunt for the Bayern Munich playmaker and would hope that the arrival of Kornmayer would help them in signing the German wonderkid.
Liverpool have struggled with injuries this season. They have had more than 40 injuries this campaign and have often had enough players on the treatment table to make a full-fledged starting eleven. Injury prone striker Daniel Sturridge has been a major victim of injuries and has managed to make only 9 appearances in the Premier League.
The squad has struggled to adapt to the intensity and physical demands of the geggenpressing game favoured by manager Jurgen Klopp. No Premier League team has had more injuries than Liverpool this season.
Dutch fitness coach Raymond Verheijen had earlier said, “Liverpool were already struggling with injuries before Klopp arrived, so to introduce this pressing game over this busy period was asking for trouble,”
Liverpool face Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the quarter-finals of the Europa League. They hold a vital away goal, scored by Belgian striker Divock Origi in a 1-1 draw at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund.