‘Difficult to imagine my future without Sergio’- Jose Riveiro reveals impact of trusted assistant’s exit from Orlando Pirates

Published on by Joel Oliver, updated on

The Bucs coach has admitted it will be tough to cope without his loyal deputy at Orlando Stadium

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has admitted it will be difficult to cope without his trusted assistant Sergio Almenara after his sudden departure.

Almenara left Pirates soon after helping Riveiro mastermind the Nedbank Cup win against Mamelodi Sundowns last weekend, leading to speculation about the future of his boss.

The Spanish coach joined the Sea Robbers in July 2022 after a spell with Finish side FC Inter Turku but most importantly, has worked with Riveiro for five years, showing just how close the two were.

“It’s something that I knew since about five, six months ago,” Riveiro said on Thabiso Mosia’s Game On show on Radio 2000, as per iDiski Times.

“It belongs to his personal space first of all. The only thing I can say is that he was exceptionally good for the institution during these two years.

‘Difficult for me from now to imagine my future without Sergio’

“Tireless worker everyday and massive contribution towards the things we were achieving during these two years together. Personally, myself the last five years working together, every single day, so we have, you can imagine we are much more than colleagues, we are family.”

Riveiro then went on about how his friend had became a pillar of strength, something that will be greatly missed following his exit.

“So, it’s difficult for me from now to imagine my future without Sergio [Almenara], but I totally understand the reasons behind that and I’m fully supporting him, and who knows, maybe in the near future we will work together again, but now, it’s my time continue here in [Orlando] Pirates and we will find solutions. It’s not gonna be a problem,” added Riveiro.

The two-time Nedbank Cup winning coach then confirmed that Almenara’s departure will not have an impact on his own future even as he begins the search for an able deputy.

Riveiro & Orlando Pirates looking for a strong assistant coach

“More than an assistant coach. We are looking to improve the coaching staff…. It’s permanently chasing possibilities to increase our probabilities to succeed,” said Riveiro.

“Usually, we used to go with the focus maybe too much in the players’ squad, but I think nowadays – how strong is the coaching staff and people who is supporting our players to be better. Day after day it becomes even more relevant and it’s where our focus is in many different positions.

Almenara was the first high-profile name to leave Pirates following the conclusion of the season with attackers Souaibou Marou and Fortune Makaringe following him out the exit door.

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Joel Oliver

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.

His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.