The 37-year-old Spaniard joins from Genoa, where he held the position of chief of football. Burnley confirmed on Monday that he will oversee football operations, recruitment and the club’s wider sporting structure, placing him at the centre of decisions over squad planning and player development.
López arrives with experience across several European leagues. Before his spell in Italy, he worked in scouting at Monaco, Lille, Excelsior Mouscron and Bordeaux, and held a sporting director role at Lens. His career has focused on identifying talent and building football departments, experience Burnley will hope can help establish a clearer long-term strategy.
The appointment comes at a difficult moment for the Clarets. The club recently dismissed head coach Nicky Hayen after a poor run of results, and Burnley’s immediate priority is to find a successor while also addressing the broader structure behind the first team. The club has not publicly confirmed whether López will personally lead the managerial search, although his new remit places him at the heart of football decision-making.
Chairman Alan Pace said the appointment was intended to raise standards throughout the organisation, highlighting López’s knowledge of European markets and his background in recruitment and player development.
López said he was eager to begin and believed the club had the potential to progress if everyone worked towards the same goals. “From my first conversations with Alan, it was clear there was real ambition and a plan to match it,” he said in Burnley’s announcement.
He also emphasised the relationship between the team and its town, saying he wanted supporters to recognise themselves in the club’s style of play, transfer decisions and identity. “The work starts now,” he added.
Burnley have described the appointment as the beginning of a new chapter. López’s first challenge will be to help create a stable sporting structure, with the managerial vacancy and recruitment planning likely to shape the months ahead.