Former Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro remained coy when asked if he will target the club’s players at his new club, expected to be Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
The Spaniard spent three seasons with Ezimnyama ngenkani, guiding them to three MTN8 titles and two Nedbank Cups. However, after his third season, Riveiro decided to walk away from the club, much to the fans and players’ disappointment.
When asked by Robert Marawa on MSW on 947 if he will be going after Pirates’ players, Riveiro appeared to sidestep the question.
“It’s a difficult question… Pirates is full of talent, full of really good prospects,” he said on the radio station.
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“But that’s not my role and will never be. Right now, in modern football, we as coaches have a say obviously in the players who are coming and going but it belongs more to the strategical side of the business.
“In this case for Orlando Pirates and whichever club wants to look at our talent here. The role that I’m playing in that kind of situation and operation, is minimum and whatever happens in future is not going to have a straight relation with my decision, my influence or my opinion,” the Spaniard said.
According to reports, Riveiro beat out Carlos Queiroz, formerly of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bafana Bafana among others, to the job. Ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Marco Rose’s name is also thought to have been on the shortlist.
Ekramy El-Shaha, the club’s former goalkeeper has opened up about his displeasure at Riveiro’s potential signing.
“I don’t know who Riveiro is,” El-Shahat was quoted in the Egyptian media. “Maybe Al Ahly sees him as the future, or maybe they’re trying to replicate the Pitso Mosimane experience when he came from Sundowns.
“All the other candidates whose names were mentioned had stronger CVs than his — he was the weakest among them.”
Sport
