Orlando Pirates coach José Riveiro poured his heart out about what it will mean for him to leave the club, after confirming their place in the semifinals of the Caf Champions League by beating MC Alger at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night.
Riveiro has made an outstanding record in three seasons, the 47-year-old Spaniard leaves an institution where he has come to be loved as he nears the end of his third and last season.
After resolving not to comment on his future, after Wednesday night’s game, perhaps encouraged by the win, Riveiro spoke of what it has meant for him to be at the helm of one of the top clubs on the continent and what he will miss about the Buccaneers.
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“Yeah, you want me to be emotional now,” was his reaction when asked how he feels about what he’s already accomplished at Pirates.
Jose-Riveiro at the press conference Photo- credit Imago
“My life will never be the same after being Pirates’ coach. What else can I tell you?
“It’s a big change in my life and I’m not talking about football or games. I’m talking about all of those things that you say about how the people are expressing themselves towards me. It’s something [amazing].”
Riveiro, known for not expressing himself much at press conferences, had to be goaded to come out of his shell.
“The sacrifice is my job. The reason we’re here is to try to do everything to put the club in the space Pirates deserve and the place where the fans want us to be. Trust me, we know what football [means] for them.
“We’re talking about more than winning one game or not. We’re talking about a lot of things in the society, and we have to be conscious of that.
“I know it every day when we wake up every morning to go to training, we know what we’re going for and to who.
“And again, it’s seven or eight weeks [of the season remaining], hopefully together we can go to the last stages of every competition and for sure [those games] are going to be special.
Jose-Riveiro- Photo credit Getty images
“But trust me, almost since I arrived here, if you speak about fans and not about you [the media], they were always really friendly and kind and special with the coach.
“Like I said, my life will never be the same after being a Pirates coach because this is not just one more club, it’s very special.”
Riveiro will also leave as the most successful coach at Pirates if he overcomes Pyramids FC of Egypt in the Champions League semifinals, with the first leg on April 18 in Orlando and second in Cairo on April 25.
If Pirates progress to the final, which will be for the third time in their history after 1995 (won) and 2013 (runners-up), they may meet old foes and defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt or Mamelodi Sundowns. The latter scenario would be the first-time clubs from the same country meet in the final of this competition.
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Pirates chair Irvin Khoza revealed last week Riveiro will leave at the end of a campaign where he may have added another two cups (he has one already in 2024-25, the MTN8, and the Nedbank Cup can still be added) or even also the Betway Premiership or Champions League titles, for which Bucs remain in the hunt.
If Pirates were to take all three titles they still can win this season, Riveiro would become their most decorated coach in the PSL era with eight trophies, while also notching up an unprecedented quadruple this campaign.
José Riveiro gets emotional as he reflects on his time with Orlando Pirates after beating MC Alger to qualify for Champions League semifinal. pic.twitter.com/VLombiDjJT
— Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) April 9, 2025
