Jorge López and the adventures of a sporting director in Libya: 'When they want a player, they go all out for him, they do crazy things'

Former Valencia and Villarreal player Jorge López discusses his recent stint as sporting director of Al Ittihad in Tripoli, Libya. Hired in December 2025 with a short-term goal to win the league or cup, he left after failing to secure a title. He highlights the high salaries and aggressive transfer tactics in Libyan football, citing the signing of Libyan-Italian midfielder Ahmad Benali, whose salary jumped from 3 to nearly 20 (likely thousands of euros per week). López notes the quality of North African football (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Ivory Coast) but criticizes its disorganization. He also mentions hiring South African coach Rulani Mokwena and working with colleague Jaime Fernández. López is now awaiting his next project.