Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has responded to the faction of supporters referring to him as a 'plumber' given his unknown status in the local game.
Pirates sprung a surprise when they announced the relatively unknown Spaniard as the club's head coach in June, having spent most of his coaching career in Finland.
Given his lack of high-profile management jobs, a faction of the Bucs supporters have suggested that the 48-year-old is in fact a plumber – the tag so many coaches before him have received.
However, the coach says he hopes his style of play and the results will get his detractors to sing a different tune, as Pirates gear up to face Swallows FC in the opening match of the 2022/23 season.
"Well, those are things that I can't control. I just try to focus on my understanding of the game, my plans and my methodology and I hope those fans can change their opinion soon," Riveiro told journalists in Randburg.
The coach meanwhile, says he has been impressed by the quality within the Pirates squad, with the team adding six new names to their roster in the current transfer window.
"I'm very impressed with the technical level of the squad its amazing how good they are and the amount of talent that we have. Now, we have to help them to be on the right track and perform together. Football is a collective sport and our main responsibility is to help them play together and not just as individuals because the squad is full of talent and now we have to find a way to beat teams together and that's what we are doing," he said.
Pirates open their campaign with the original Soweto derby against Swallows at the Orlando Stadium. Kick off is at 15:00 on Saturday 6 August.
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