The contradiction is quite staggering, but that’s what you get when dealing with the complex persona of Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro.
It is unbelievable that a man who works in the full glare of intense media scrutiny as the face of Soweto giants Orlando Pirates actually loathes the attention he gets because of his shy nature.
Riveiro, who arrived in South Africa in June 2022 unknown in this country, has earned the respect of many football fans for his attractive football that has brought four cup trophies, always accompanied by his calm, calculated demeanour despite the pressure he operates under.
There are coaches who are loud and in your face in South African football. Riveiro is almost always composed on the touchline and his pre- and post-match interviews produce few fireworks.
In an interview with TimesLIVE Premium, the Spaniard, 48, spoke about his introverted nature and ambitions for the 2024-25 season, which include going far in the Caf Champions League and pushing for the Betway Premiership title.
“My parents are much more extroverts than me, they are more sociable than myself,” he responded when asked if he got his shyness from his parents.
“I have been like this from my childhood, where I enjoyed being mostly alone and busy with books. I have friends and my group of friends are the same as they were since I was six or seven years old. We have been together for years and because of that I have strong friendships and I also have a big family — but at the same time I am a very shy person.
“I am not a person who wants to be seen, which is a contradiction if you think about my job where I am in the spotlight as a football coach. I try to always listen more than I talk. I like to observe and analyse people in the room and try to learn from people who talk.”
When Riveiro arrived in the country, he displayed a visible level of emotion and shock when, in one of his first interviews, he shed tears at the high levels of inequality he had seen in South Africa. He hopes to see people’s lives improving.
“It has been more than two years since I have been here, involved in football, and I haven’t had much time to introduce myself to the society as much as I would have liked.
“In that interview, I had just landed in the country and I was a bit in shock after I had spent the previous seven-and-half years in Finland. If I have to say something about Finland, it would be about the quality of society and coming here was a big change for me.”
Riveiro said Pirates want to use football give people joy.
“Our role as a football team, coaches and players is to entertain people and make them happy, especially people who are not having a good time in their lives. We want to give them that side of life that is a bit more bright and hopefully things can get better for everyone in the future.”
The Spaniard, a private person who becomes uncomfortable talking about himself at length, said he chose coaching when he realised he would not make a career out of playing.
“I played football since I was about seven years old, but I was not good enough to be a professional footballer, even though I tried my best all the time. I managed to play in the first division [second tier] for a satellite team of RC Celta de Vigo. Even though I had the opportunity to play, I don’t think I had the level to play there.
“I got my first coaching licence at 19 years old because I was interested in coaching. I made coaching my profession and later I decided to be a professional coach — in around 2010, which is not that long ago.
It is our responsibility to compete in every competition. There is no reason to say we have to focus on one or the other. I am fully convinced we can do a good job in domestic cups.
— Jose Riveiro
“It has been an excellent opportunity for me to grow as a human being. I have had the opportunity to work in different countries and on different types of football, to learn different languages and prove to myself that I can be a coach even not in my language.
“Everything is excellent and I consider myself a lucky person because there are more coaches than clubs and contracts. To have the opportunity to live my passion as my profession is a privilege.”
Riveiro's Pirates will go as far as possible in the Champions League, where they bombed out with a disappointing second preliminary round defeat to Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy last season. Bucs are looking to put their poor starts to Premiership campaigns under Riveiro behind them in 2024-25, to mount a far stronger challenge to seven-time successive champions Mamelodi Sundowns than the past two seasons' runners-up finishes by 16 and 23 points.
“The is no reason to put any limit to ourselves, the same way it was one year ago. We had enough quality and capacity one year ago to compete in every competition and not only to compete for second position in the league.
“This season is not about having more or better players than before. It is our third year together and there are a lot of mechanisms and dynamics that are already there and you can see it our in our game.
“It is not for the first time we are playing football together and that for me is an advantage for us because we have continuity with the same core of the players. I have said it several times in the past that it is our responsibility to compete in every competition. There is no reason to say we have to focus on one or the other. I am fully convinced we can do a good job in domestic cups.
“We have a fantastic opportunity in the Champions League because we have must be seen on the continental space and we have a responsibility to fight for the domestic league title.”
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