Maccabi Tel Aviv's head fitness coach, Juan Torrijo Navarro, arrived at Maccabi in the summer of 2012 after sixteen seasons in the same function at the successful Spanish football club Valencia. During that time he shared with them their glory years, when Valencia were two-time winners of the La Liga championship, two-time winners of the Copa del Rey, two-time winners of the Spanish Super Cup and one-time winners of the UEFA Cup and the European Super Cup. He was also with the club when in two successive seasons, 2000 and 2001, when they reached the finals of the Champions League.

At the end of the 2012/13 season, Torrijo joined then head coach Oscar Garcia and assistant coach Reuben Martinez for one season at the English Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion, helping the club to reach the play-offs for a ticket to England's top-tier Premier League. He then returned with them to Maccabi Tel Aviv for a second term at the beginning of the 2014/15 season.