Anfield will play host to the second European Regional Finals of Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer League Road to Cardiff in April, and with the club’s new incoming CEO you can expect a lot more of this sort of thing next year. 
Peter Moore, the Head of EA’s Competitive Gaming Division and ardent Liverpool fan, has been announced as the club’s new CEO. Whilst a serious blow to EA it’s a positive step for the further involvement of major football clubs in esports.
Moore will report to the club’s owners when he formally starts the role in the summer. He’s no stranger to a big role at a major organisation; he was formerly COO at EA Sports, and has worked at huge companies in and around sports and gaming including Reebok, Sega and Microsoft.
Andrew Wilson, CEO at EA, said of the news: “Passion is essential for all of us at Electronic Arts. It’s what gets us up in the morning and drives us to do extraordinary things.
“And if you’ve ever met Peter Moore, you know that he quite literally wears his passion for Liverpool FC on his sleeve. So it’s with great excitement that we congratulate Peter on following his dream to become the next CEO of his beloved Liverpool Football Club.” You can read his comments in full here.
The logical assumption now is that Liverpool, who currently do not have any involvement with an esports organisation, will embrace this brave new world once Moore is appointed. In terms of the ‘biggest’ clubs in the space to date we’ve seen PSG, Schalke and Valencia fully embrace different scenes, whilst the likes of Man City, West Ham and Sporting CP have signed FIFA players.
A club with the stature, history and reach of Liverpool would change things and could seriously elevate FIFA’s competitive scene in particular.
Esports Insider says: Peter Moore’s role as CEO should also mean he’s in a strong position to impact other clubs in the Premier League. Losing Moore, whilst tough in the short term, could arguably become a blessing in disguise for EA when it comes to realising its aim of expanding its competitive scenes.
