On 15 October 2010,
NESV completed its £300m takeover of Liverpool, at which time the club's existing Managing Director
Christian Purslow stepped down. The club's owners,
Fenway Sports Group, led by
John W. Henry and the chairman
Tom Werner, announced Ayre as the new Managing Director on 22 March 2011. With the sacking of
sporting director Damien Comolli in April 2012, Ayre was given more responsibility and in May 2014 was officially promoted to
chief executive officer. In March 2016, Liverpool announced Ayre would step down as CEO at the end of May 2017, when his current contract expired. In November 2016, Ayre was awarded the 'fcbusiness Premier League CEO of the Year' award at the
Football Business Awards 2016.
Criticisms In 2012, a transfer committee was established after Liverpool's failure to land several notable transfers and underwhelming incoming transfers were widely criticized by media and fans alike. In January 2016, Ayre was criticized for his role in a proposed increase in ticket prices despite boosts in commercial revenue, which led to a walkout of 10,000 fans led by fan group
Spirit of Shankly. The club owners later issued a formal apology and reversed their decision. ==1860 Munich==