On his final face-to-face with local media as the Orlando Pirates coach, Jose Riveiro made a passionate plea to journalists about his successor to be announced by the Soweto giants in due course.
Riveiro took charge of his last game in the 3-0 victory over Golden Arrows in the Betway Premiership clash at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday.
The Spanish-born mentor requested an early release from his contract, which was due to lapse in June. This is after Riveiro signed with another unnamed club, and it appears that outfit wants him to join as soon as possible.
Though assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi will lead the Soweto giants in their remaining four league matches, the club is expected to announce Riveiro’s permanent replacement.
It’s well-known that Riveiro didn’t enjoy the best reception from South African media and fans alike.
That’s because he came as an unknown coach and his CV didn’t depict any major past success, and he was labelled a plumber.
But the Spaniard now leaves the Sea Robbers as one of the best coaches to ever lead them, with five trophies in the past three years.
Riveiro urged the members of the fourth estate to try to be more supportive and allow the new coach to focus on having a good start.
“I wish you would support them or support him,” Riveiro said.
“You play an important role in the way that things can start or not. I’m talking about the journalists, people who are usually based on facts and not speculation.
“The fact is somebody is going to come, not a speculation, and that person will be sitting here in front of you and will be sitting there with the players as well.
“And for the good of the development of the team and the good of the development of South African football, it’s important that the people who have the responsibility to communicate, share the message, and information are fair with whoever is coming,” Riveiro said.
“Be supportive, helping, judging or monitoring or controlling the truth, which is your mission in society and give him that platform to start in a good way.
“That’s what I want for my players, even though I won’t be here, they will always be my players, and I wish the best for them.
“From the media, I wish you could give them patience and be fair, if you want, this is not an instruction, I’m not your boss, you have your guideline.”
Riveiro, who leaves with five trophies won for the Sea Robbers and finished as the league runners-up three times in a row, believes coaching in the Premier Soccer League has taught him a lot of things, including being resilient.
“Resilience. Resilience. It’s helluva league. It’s not an easy league, trust me, guys, it is not an easy one,” Riveiro said.
“I think the context is very unique. I can’t speak much about that, but the context of South African football it’s very unique.
“But as a lesson, I think in my job as a coach is to understand where I am. If I don’t do it, then I’m not going to succeed.
“It doesn’t matter how much I know about football and how quickly I am to read what is happening on the field, if I don’t understand the culture and the space, it’s not going to work.
“I learned here not to judge anybody. I don’t do it, sometimes early in my career, I used to ask myself why this kind of behaviour.”
The coach couldn’t divulge his next destination, but said the announcement should be made soon. He is linked with a move to Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
