Former Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has earned praise from a European football figure, who described him as someone who is "all about football."
Riveiro rose to prominence in African football after joining the Sea Robbers in July 2022 from Finnish club FC Inter Turku, where he was relatively unknown to Africans at the time.
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During his tenure in South Africa, the Spaniard guided the Buccaneers to five domestic cup titles, though he could not secure a league championship.
His achievements with the Betway Premiership outfit eventually led to a high-profile move to Egyptian giants Al Ahly, the 12-time CAF Champions League winners ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Jani Merilainen, a Finnish coach and current sporting director at Inter Turku, where he worked alongside Riveiro, has spoken highly of the former Pirates boss, praising his deep commitment to the game.
"Finland isn't the biggest football country in the world, but Riveiro's move with Orlando was a good one, and his move to Al Ahly is a qualitative shift in his career," Jani said on Al Ahly TV, per Almasryalyoum.
"Riveiro is a wonderful person and an exceptional coach. He has unique qualities as a technical director, and his coaching experience is excellent. He is a coach who always relies on team play.
"Riveiro's way of thinking as a coach enables him to coach successfully anywhere. When he coached in Finland, he focused on analyzing opponents and developing players' performance.
"Riveiro is always developing himself in the coaching field, his head is full of football, and his style of play is based on possession and his team's control over the course of matches," he explained.
"Al-Ahly is a great team, and it was no surprise to me that Riveiro was appointed as its coach. It is a step towards success, especially since its first stop will be participating in the Club World Cup."
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"My relationship with Riveiro was very good, even after he left to coach the Finnish team Inter Turku. We wish him the best of luck and are proud of him," added the Finnish coach.
"We hope he proves his success as a coach at the Club World Cup. He has great opportunities to succeed in his coaching mission with Al Ahly, especially in the Club World Cup."
