I was not happy with how I left Orlando Pirates – Jose Riveiro

Former Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has opened up about one aspect of his abrupt departure from the club that left him unsettled, seven matches before the 2024/25 season concluded.

The Spanish coach, who joined Pirates on a three-year contract at the start of the 2022/23 season, led the club to five trophies during his tenure.

Many believe that the silverware count could have been higher had his exit not been announced while the season was still underway.

Following the news of his impending departure, Pirates struggled, exiting the CAF Champions League at the semi-final stage, losing the Nedbank Cup final to rivals Kaizer Chiefs, and seeing their league title challenge falter.

Fans expressed disappointment, feeling let down by the timing of the announcement, particularly as Riveiro was poised to take over as Al Ahly’s head coach in Egypt.

Speaking to Metro FM’s SNAWA on Tuesday, the 50-year-old clarified his decision.

“I don’t know if people understood the nature of my decision at that time, but I didn’t leave Pirates because I moved to Al Ahly,” said Riveiro.

“It was a decision that was made a long, long time ago. They [Pirates] knew, and Ahly came later.

“The only thing that I didn’t like about what happened was the fact that I moved before the season ends here. I wasn’t happy about that.

“It was a must, yeah, from Ahly [to prepare for the FIFA Club World Cup]… But I didn’t have any other option at that time; I had to do it in that way.

“I was lucky that the club helped me a lot, Pirates. Pirates people were backing me all the time, and they made everything easy for me to find a way to be there on time. I had the possibility to play that [FIFA Club] World Cup.”

Riveiro is back in South Africa temporarily as part of Carling Black Label’s Carling Knockout, having coached the Carling All-Stars team—the fan-voted side that faces the tournament winners over the past two seasons.

Pirates will face Magesi FC in the Carling Knockout final at Peter Mokaba Stadium on 6 December.