A former Orlando Pirates winger fears that the timing of Jose Riveiro's exit announcement could have a negative impact on the team in the final few weeks of the campaign.
Pirates announced on Thursday that Riveiro would not be staying when his contract expires in June, a big shock for many who were hoping that the Spaniard would renew his contract to continue with the fine work he has been doing with the Soweto giants.
READ: Official: Pirates Announce Riveiro Decision
The Buccaneers, who already have the MTN8 in the bag, are still in contention for three more trophies this season, the Betway Premiership, Nedbank Cup and CAF Champions League. This is an exciting period for the Soweto giants, but former winger Bennett Chenene has raised concern of the timing of the announcement made by the club.
"To be honest, I am shocked. The guy is doing well. He is winning games. He is doing well in Africa, he wins cups and he is number two in the league. I did not expect it," Chenene said to Soccer Laduma.
"It's a bit of a problem. It's not good for Pirates. When you get a new coach, he is going to come in and bring in new players and make changes. This thing of changing coaches while the current one is doing well is not good. Let's hope for the best. And the fact that they announced it now before the season ends is not a good thing in my opinion. I think it can disturb the team, but let's see how it goes."
READ: Riveiro Breaks Silence On Pirates Exit
After the announcement, the Pirates players have to quickly shift their focus to Saturday's Premiership clash match against Polokwane City, which they cannot afford to lose, considering they are 15 points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
While Chenene fears that the announcement could have a negative impact on the players, they can use the last few weeks of the season to make sure that Riveiro's tenure ends on a high.
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