Ahead of the highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates on Saturday, head coach Miguel Cardoso spoke candidly about facing his Iberian counterpart, Jose Riveiro, for the very first time.
The upcoming match has already generated immense excitement as both teams fight for supremacy in the league, with the game set to take place in a sold-out Loftus Versveld stadium.
However, Cardoso was quick to downplay any notion of rivalry between the two coaches.
Despite the high stakes of the game, the Sundowns head coach emphasized that their shared history, having both worked in Spain, takes precedence over any potential tension or competition.
"There's no rivalry at all," Cardoso stated when asked about his relationship with Riveiro.
"We speak the same language. He's from Vigo, and I worked in Vigo as the coach of a team where he was also involved with his academy when he was younger. We've crossed paths already. There's no rivalry between us."
Cardoso explained that the two coaches come from a similar background, both hailing from regions in the Iberian peninsula where they share a linguistic connection even though Riveiro is Spanish and the Sundowns coach is Portuguese. Despite their different roles in football, their past interactions and mutual respect make the match-up more about their respective teams rather than a personal battle.
"Coaches don't play against each other – teams play against each other. So, we come from a local region, we speak the same language – he also speaks Portuguese. When we met at the Nedbank press conference, he even asked me if I wanted to speak Spanish, but I told him I can speak Portuguese. So there's no rivalry at all."
For Cardoso, the upcoming match is more about the teams on the field, with both sides fiercely determined to secure the three points. He acknowledged that Riveiro would be looking to defend his club and that he, too, would do the same for Sundowns. However, Cardoso made it clear that their respective histories would not overshadow the real battle – the one taking place between the two clubs.
"Of course, he will defend his club, and I will defend mine. But that's not the spirit I see. As I said before and I repeat, coaches don't play against each other, teams play against each other. It's a completely different approach," he said.
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