HAPPY COACH Orlando Pirates head coach José Riveiro remains unfazed by the pressure to keep pace with reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the race for Betway Premiership glory this season.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
Orlando Pirates head coach José Riveiro remains unfazed by the pressure to keep pace with reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the race for Betway Premiership glory this season.
The Sea Robbers are in second place in the log table with 33 points from 13 matches, while Sundowns are in first place with 39 points from 14 matches.
The Soweto giants are aiming to dethrone the reigning Tshwane giants, who have dominated the league with seven consecutive titles, and end their own league drought spanning well over a decade.
Despite trailing Masandawana by six points, Riveiro insists he feels no added pressure to keep pace with the reigning champions.
“It’s the same pressure since day one I arrived here,” the Spanish tactician said according to the IDiski Times.
“I’m coaching Pirates, I’m coaching a champion team, I’m coaching a winning team. Everybody is expecting from us to improve the history of the club, to get titles.
“We’re trying, we’re having a fantastic beginning – we are in February, but we can still talk about the beginning of the league because we are at game number 13,".
The Spanish tactician also vowed that the Buccaneers will not give up their pursuit of the league title, pledging to fight on until the very end.
“But at the same time, we are fighting we are fighting with many good teams – one of them is champions over the last seven years. So even though we had an excellent beginning of the season, we’re still some points behind but we’re not gonna stop. We’re gonna keep fighting, performing, hopefully having luck every week to get the result.
“Like I said the pressure is the same as from day one, there is nothing different this season. It’s true that the team is giving right now to the people to think more reasons that we could make it, and that’s a bit new but there is nothing different or new in terms of responsibility that we all feel to be part of this team.”
IOL Sport