Football Career
Gaddafi is known for his involvement in Libyan football. On 6 June 2000, the BBC reported that Gaddafi had signed with Maltese champions Birkirkara F.C. and would play for them in the Champions League. The move failed to materialize.
Libyan football was arranged to favor Saadi. One law forbade announcing the name of any football player with the exception of Saadi. Only numbers of other players were announced. Referees favored Saadi's club and security forces were used to silence protests.
He signed for Italian Serie A team Perugia in 2003, employing Diego Maradona as his technical consultant and Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson as his personal trainer. He made only one substitute appearance before failing a drug test. He was formerly on the board of the Italian team Juventus, of which 7.5% is owned by a Libyan consortium, but stepped down to join Perugia.
He was also captain of the Libya national football team, captain of his home club in Tripoli, and president of the Libyan Football Federation.
Gaddafi joined UEFA Champions League qualifiers Udinese Calcio in 2005–06, playing only ten minutes in an end-of-season league match against Cagliari Calcio.
He joined U.C. Sampdoria during season 2006–07, without playing a single match.
Read more about this topic: Al-Saadi Gaddafi
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