New Al Ahly head coach Jose Riveiro says the performances of Orlando Pirates in the CAF Champions League prompted the Egyptian giants to pursue his services.
Riveiro has signed a two-year deal to succeed Marcel Koller and will lead the record 12-time African champions at the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
This after three impressive years at Pirates, where he arrived as a relatively unknown figure to one of the most sought-after coaches on the continent before Ahly secured his signature.
“I think the results at Orlando Pirates prompted Al Ahly to pursue me. I followed Al Ahly recently; we were eliminated from the Champions League semi-finals,” he explained in an interview with Al Ahly TV.
“After that, Al Ahly changed their technical team, which is why the negotiations with me were quick.”
The Spaniard who spent three years working in the academy of Celta Vigo before his foray into senior coaching in Finland admits he was transformed during his time at the Buccaneers with a major role in the club.
“Coaching Orlando Pirates has given me a lot of value. At Pirates… I wasn’t just a coach; I worked on a project to create a new youth team, and I succeeded in doing so within three years.
“We won titles and went far in the CAF Champions League. I competed against Al Ahly when I was with Orlando, and we played two great matches. The continent learned about my capabilities as a coach during the last edition of the CAF Champions League.”
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