'What he did at Pirates says he's good...'

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Al Ahly’s FIFA Club World Cup coach, Jose Riveiro, has cleared the air on why he left Betway Premiership giants Orlando Pirates in April.

Days before Riveiro took Al Ahly to the FIFA Club World Cup to open the tournament against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, the Spaniard spoke to the media about his exit from the Buccaneers.

According to the former Orlando Pirates mentor who lifted three MTN8 titles and two Nedbank Cup trophies, it was time for new horizons.

FROM ORLANDO PIRATES TO AL AHLY

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Former Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro during a training session with his new club Al Ahly before the FIFA Club World Cup. Image: @AlAhly/X

“The decision was based on my feelings, and that my time at Orlando Pirates was up,” Riveiro said on Metro FM. “I had to continue my journey and challenge myself in a new environment.

“So, I think it’s also positive for Pirates to continue differently, try to find a different challenge, and for the club to also find someone to continue the journey, to take the team to the next level.”

The soft-spoken Spaniard added, “Al Ahly is a club that gives you a good platform to continue growing and winning trophies. I think it’s a good option for my development. I had to make a decision.

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“After all, I’m used to being alone and far from everything, and concentrating on my job because that’s what I do, and that’s what I’m going to do here [at Al Ahly],” he concluded.

PERCY TAU ON AL AHLY

“It’s going to require a lot from him, where he’s going is very different to South Africa. It’s a club with so many fans and passion, they really love the club so much and he has to win every competition that he participates in,” Tau said on 947’s MSW.

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“But they’ve also given him the resources, they’ve signed him a lot of good players, so that would help but he has to do better than the previous coach, (Marcel) Koller, he won 11 trophies with me. He (Riveiro) has to do better than that.

“What he has done with Orlando Pirates it does say he’s a good coach, he knows what he’s doing. I think he can do well but it’s going to require a lot. At Al Ahly it’s not only the games he has to deal with…” Tau concluded.