Riveiro 'signs with a new club', Pirates grant him early release

Orlando Pirates have opted to let their coach Jose Riveiro leave before the end of the season with Tuesday's league meeting with Golden Arrows at home his final game after he "signed with a new club".

Riveiro lost his first ever final when their biggest rivals Kaizer Chiefs beat them 2-1 in the Nedbank Cup decider at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

“Orlando Pirates can confirm that head coach Jose Riveiro will be on the bench for the final time when the team hosts Golden Arrows on Tuesday evening. The club has granted coach Riveiro an early release from his contract, which was originally set to run until the end of June 2025,'' Pirates statement read on Monday morning.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to Orlando Pirates for allowing me the opportunity to leave before the end of my contract. As someone who has never found goodbyes easy, this moment is particularly emotional for meJose Riveiro

Bucs chairman Irvin Khoza confirmed in the statement that Riveiro asked for an early release. “Jose approached us a few weeks ago with a request to be released from his contract ahead of schedule, having signed with a new club,'' Khoza said.

“Given the timing, amid a series of crucial fixtures, we believed it was best to delay this announcement until after the Nedbank Cup final. His contribution since joining the club has been immense. We learned a lot from him and he learned a lot from us.

“While we would have preferred to formally honour him with a proper send-off, we fully respect his decision to depart before the end of his tenure.”

An “emotional” Riveiro, who's won five trophies since his arrival in June 2022, thanked Bucs for allowing him to leave prematurely 

“I want to express my sincere appreciation to Orlando Pirates for allowing me the opportunity to leave before the end of my contract. As someone who has never found goodbyes easy, this moment is particularly emotional for me,'' Riveiro said.

“I am deeply grateful to everyone at the club – from management and technical staff to the players and the many individuals behind the scenes who work tirelessly to support the team.”

Pirates announced that Riveiro was going to leave the club at the end of the season as early as last month when Bucs were still in contention for three competitions, namely the domestic championship, the CAF Champions League and the Nedbank Cup. However, the Soweto giants ended up tumbling in all three competitions, leaving Riveiro with the MTN8 as the only cup he won this season.

Supported by head performance analyst Rayaan Jacobs, assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi will take charge of the remaining games after Riveiro's exit. The Spaniard is already linked to Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

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