Jose ‘Padre’ Riveiro and Orlando Pirates to amicably part ways when season wraps up

by Nomonde Simelane

A fate that many fans have been dreading has become a reality as Soweto Giants Orlando Pirates reveal that they have amicably agreed to part ways with head coach Jose Riveiro at the end of this season after opting not to renew his contract.

After spending the last three years as the head coach of Orlando Pirates, this season will mark the end of Jose Riveiro’s tenure with the Soweto Giants. As expected, the news has not been welcomed by the club’s fans, as they believe the Spanish tactician is responsible for getting the team back to its glory days as a winning and competitive side, as their neighbours in Soweto would love.

Under Jose, who has been donned with the nickname ‘Padre’, Orlando Pirates did what can be compared to the Phoenix, as they rose from the ashes to become the formidable team that has managed to maintain second position behind a strong Mamelodi Sundowns side in the Betway Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Not only did Padre manage to establish a winning culture in his first season at Orlando Pirates, as he to only led the team to the MTN 8 title and the Nedbank Cup, but also managed to pull off a second place finish in what was the DTSV Premiership, which earned him a spot in the CAF Champion’s League where they joined Masandawana as the only South African sides to participate in the tournament.

As he prepares to part ways with the organisation, Jose leaves behind a legacy of resilience, dedication, hard work and loyalty, as he managed to convince his players to buy into a system that they weren’t sure was going to be successful. His leadership and tactical style also earned him the favour and adoration of the large fan base, as they too have bought into his ideologies and ways of thinking.

The club’s fans have taken to social media to express the range of emotions that have overcome them upon hearing the devastating news. While some fans reminisce of the many fond memories they have with the head coach, others have expressed that they do not accept this decision by the organisation and their coach,

Some of these supporters have labelled Padre as one of the club’s best coaches since its inception, while others encourage the organisation to convince him to stay, so as to avoid a similar fate to their neighbours, Kaizer Chiefs.

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