Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal could've been working in the front office at Liverpool, revealed manager Brendan Rodgers.
Van Gaal was interviewed for a sporting director role at Liverpool in May 2012 following the sacking of Kenny Dalglish.
However, Rodgers convinced owner John W Henry he did not need any figure above him in such a structure.
"I'm not sure how many people the club spoke to but certainly for me coming in, I was always going to work with a team of people, rather than for a director of football," Rodgers said.
"I always think the manager is the technical director. He is the man who oversees the football development of the club, and I believe you should take on that responsibility when you are manager.
"I work best whenever I have clear communication lines with owners.
"My only failure - if you can call it that - was when I had something in between at Reading, which was when I had a director of football.
"One of my strengths is to communicate upwards, and if I can't do that, or if the message is watered down then I don't work the same.
"For me it was important that when I came in (to Liverpool) I didn't want those lines blocked.
"It's not that I can never work with one. But I felt it was important, with all the work that needed to be done, and the size of the job I took on, that I needed to have the full responsibility in order to do that job. And I think the owners backed that."
