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“It hurt” – Former set-piece coach speaks for first time since Liverpool sacking

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Friday, August 15, 2025: Liverpool's first team individual development coach Aaron Briggs during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth at Anfield. Liverpool won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Former set-piece coach Aaron Briggs has spoken publicly for the first time since his Liverpool sacking in December, insisting he has “no regrets.”

On December 30, Liverpool parted ways with Briggs after 18 months at the club, having overseen the worst set-piece record in Europe’s top five leagues.

At the time of his dismissal, the Reds had conceded 12 set-piece goals (excluding penalties), and scored just three times themselves in the league for a minus nine goal difference.

Arne Slot later deemed it “very unfair” to pin the blame solely on Briggs, but he was the first man to depart before Liverpool moved to change the whole regime in the summer.

The 39-year-old, who now works at UEFA’s game insights department and helps create coaching education material, spoke to the Athletic about his Liverpool experience.

Aaron Briggs felt Liverpool’s support during turnaround attempts

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, November 9, 2024: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot (L) and first team individual development coach Aaron Briggs during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 2-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

With Liverpool bleeding goals from set-pieces and not showing signs of improvement, the decision was made to remove Briggs from his post, leaving the responsibility to those left behind.

The 39-year-old insists, however, that he did not feel alone as he tried to arrest the set-piece record.

“I had experience of being in the spotlight at Wolfsburg and Monaco as an assistant coach, but the thing with set pieces is that it’s very, very measurable. It’s black and white,” Briggs started.

“That summer (2025), I took on the role full-time and thought I could make a difference. I put my heart and soul into it, as many hours as humanely possible.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, November 26, 2025: Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk reacts to conceeding their third goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool FC and PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

“The club tried to help so it wasn’t just me on my own. The analyst team were really helpful. We didn’t just watch it go downhill. We had meetings and spoke with the players, the coaches.

“I was doing more research, looking at all the chances we conceded and how they happened.

“Am I putting the wrong players in the wrong places? Is it the setup that is wrong? But it was mostly second and third balls so it wasn’t the setup at delivery.

“We spoke to key players, and Virgil was one I spoke to heavily. He was getting frustrated. I was, the club were, the fans were.

“We tried to help each other. We tried everything to correct it.”

Aaron Briggs’ relationship with Arne Slot

FRANKFURT, GERMANY - Wednesday, October 22, 2025: Liverpool's Ibrahima Konaté celebrates with set-piece coach Aaron Briggs (R) after scoring the third goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Liverpool FC at the Waldstadion. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Ultimately, for Briggs, he could not find a way to turn the tide, but he still holds on to the special moment of winning the league and left with “no regrets” or bad feelings for Slot.

He continued: “It hurt when we weren’t performing as I was putting everything into it and it wasn’t going great. In hindsight, it didn’t work out for the club or myself, but no regrets.

“I was very fortunate to be part of a team that won the Premier League and go on an open-top bus parade in Liverpool with hundreds of thousands of fans.

“I wish from the bottom of my heart it had gone better in that second year, but everyone was trying so I didn’t feel alone.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, April 27, 2025: Liverpool's Ruben Peeters, Aaron Briggs, Vitezslav Jaros, Arne Slot, Sipke Hulshoff, Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah celebrate after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 5-1 and became League Champions. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

“There wasn’t a falling-out. Arne was really supportive and I spoke to him a few weeks ago. It was very amicable.

“The numbers were the numbers unfortunately, and that’s part of football.”

Under Andoni Iraola, first-team coaches Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper are responsible for set-pieces, with the former focusing on defence and the latter on offence.

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Paris, France. 17th May, 2026. Ibrahim Mbaye on the final day of the McDonald’s Ligue 1 season at the Stade Jean Bouin between PSG and Paris FC, on 17 May 2026 – 17/05/2026 – France/Ile-de-France (region)/Paris – Julien Mattia/Le Pictorium Credit: LE PICT

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