After nearly three seasons at the helm of Orlando Pirates, head coach Jose Riveiro has finally broken his silence on what it has truly meant to lead one of South Africa’s most iconic football clubs.
Known for his reserved nature and preference to avoid the spotlight, the Spaniard has largely kept his emotions and personal experiences out of the public eye – until now.
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Last Thursday, the Buccaneers officially confirmed that Riveiro would not be renewing his contract, and that he will be departing the club at the end of the current season.
The announcement marked the beginning of the end of a memorable chapter, one that Riveiro has now begun to reflect on more openly.
At the time of the announcement, Riveiro remained focused on the task at hand, stating that the moment to delve into his decision would come later.
“Now isn’t that time because we have a job to do,” he said via the club’s official channels. “The season is far from over and we have a lot of work to do between now and the end of May.”
True to his word, Riveiro finally allowed a glimpse into his emotional journey during a post-match press conference at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday evening.
His team had just secured their spot in the CAF Champions League semi-finals following a tense 0-0 draw against MC Alger, going through on a 1-0 aggregate.
Visibly moved, Riveiro admitted that his time at Pirates has been life-changing – not just professionally, but personally.
While brushing off any attempts to draw out tears, he acknowledged that his life has been forever transformed by his experience in Mzansi.
Coaching the Soweto giants, he revealed, has been far more than a job – it’s been a profound personal journey shaped by the warmth, passion, and respect he has felt from the club’s supporters.
He spoke about how the people around the club and the fans themselves have left a lasting imprint on his heart.
It wasn’t just about the matches or the trophies, he stressed, but about the deep human connections and the sense of purpose he found within the Pirates community.
Riveiro also touched on the sacrifices he has made along the way – particularly his long separation from his family.
For nearly two years, the coach had been away from his loved ones, a fact the club confirmed during their MTN8 victory celebrations last October.
But for Riveiro, that sacrifice was part of the job, a responsibility he fully embraced in pursuit of the club’s ambitions.
He emphasised how deeply he and his technical team understood the importance of the club to its fans.
Every training session, every match, he said, came with the knowledge that they were representing more than just a football team – they were carrying the hopes of an entire community.
Despite his humility, Riveiro joked with the media that their focus had always been on the supporters rather than the press.
In closing, the Spaniard paid a heartfelt tribute to Pirates, calling it a club unlike any other.
“You want me to get emotional. No way. My life will never be the same after being here as a Pirates coach. What else can I tell you? It's a big change in my life. I’m not talking about football, (and) I’m not talking about games, I’m talking about all of those things that you say in the way that the people are expressing themselves towards me, it’s something, yeah,” Riveiro said.
“No, but the sacrifice is my job. I’m here for that reason; I’m here with that mandate. We’re here to try to do everything in order to put the club in the space that a club like Pirates deserve, and the space that the fans want us to be. We know, trust me that we know how important football is for them. And yeah, I know it every day, when we wake up in the morning, when we go to training, we know what we are playing for, and to who. And again, still, like in seven or eight weeks, hopefully, together here, hopefully we can go to the last stages of every competition and for sure they are going to be special, but trust me since I arrived here, we speak about the fans, not about you,” he said, jokingly.
“They (the fans) were always really friendly and kind and special with the coach, and like I said, for me, and I said everywhere I go, that my life will never be the same after being (the) Pirates coach, because this not just one more club, it’s a very special club,” concluded the Spaniard with his voice, though steady, carrying the weight of someone who poured his heart into every moment of his tenure.
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As his final weeks with Ezimnyama draw closer, the 47-year-old remains focused on finishing the season strong.
But for those who have watched his journey, one thing is clear: his bond with the Buccaneers will endure far beyond the final whistle.
