‘Tricks are beautiful, but ...’ – Pirates coach Jose Riveiro on showboating

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro does not have an issue with players showboating. so long as it is done with good purpose.

Riveiro had to answer a question on the topical and sometimes controversial issue after his side’s 3-0 victory over Comoros’ Djabal Club in their Caf Champions League preliminary stage clash at Orlando Stadium on Friday night.

Pirates won the match by 4-0 on aggregate to proceed to the next round where they will face Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy in the preliminary stage second round.

Pirates return to DStv Premiership action against Cape Town City at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday (7.30pm).

After putting the game beyond Djabal on Friday, some Pirates players began to perform crowd-pleasing tricks.

In a carefully thought-out response, Spanish coach Riveiro said he believes tricks are beautiful, but emphasised they should be done to help the team carry out its goals.

“I think everything in football is fine as long as it’s useful to gain metres and eliminate [opposition] players, to feed the next player in the next line,” Riveiro said.

“Everything is all right — bicycles, step on the ball — but with a purpose. If we do it only for the sake of doing it, I don’t know, but it is what it is.

“The technical tricks in football are beautiful — but again, with a purpose. When you eliminate somebody, fine. You lose the ball, it’s not fine. Not at all.

“But not with just these kinds of tricks, we don’t like to lose the ball and we don’t want to lose time with the way we are trying to play.

“We manage to do it sometimes but trust me, we want to go to the goal as soon as possible. We like to play with speed and sometimes if we step on the ball too much we are going against that plan.”

The Buccaneers will be determined to register their second league victory of the season against City after their first three games ended in a defeat, a win and a draw