As Orlando Pirates coach José Riveiro looks back on what has already been a successful season for his team and which could become even more successful as they push for a second trophy in Saturday’s Nedbank Cup Final, the reason for this success seems to stem from one word – gratitude.
“As a coaching team we’ve been giving 100 per cent to the process because we have been welcomed so warmly here and we are trying to pay that back with the professional work we do with passion,” Riveiro says of the dedication of his staff to the Vodacom-sponsored team’s cause.
The change in the team has been quite evident as they have already claimed one trophy in the MTN8 and secured Caf Champions League action next season with their second-place finish in the DStv Premiership.
“There is never just one reason behind a good season, especially in a complex football environment,” says Riveiro as he reflects on the journey they’ve been on.
“I think the quick adaptation from first the coaching staff and then the players has played a key role this season. The players have been very quick to understand what we are looking for. That synergy between the coaching staff and the players is the key. The football comes later. But our capacity to start working well together very early in the season and the possibility of an early success such as winning the MTN8 helped a lot in terms of the overall continuity of our project here. It’s about the capacity to have an eye in the future but also now in the present.”
Riveiro also identified a key approach in his coaching style this season.
“These are all very good players, and our obsession as coaches is to get them to play together effectively. That is what we put our time into. It’s not about playing the way I want to play. It’s about playing the best football we believe we can play with this particular group of players and finding ways to win games with this group. From there it’s easy to explain the game because it's always in our minds, we’re always working on it and learning from other teams and other coaches. We are obsessed with trying to simplify the game as much as possible for the players. We understand that this is a very complex game, but we try to convey it in a way that the players can understand what we want and also have joy producing it, which is what we want in the end.”
It's an approach that has clearly resonated with the players.
“The leadership of the coaches has been amazing this season, and the calm way in which they convey the information. When things are not going well, they always keep us calm,” says defender Tapelo Xoki.
“The brotherhood of the players has also been key this season. We pride ourselves on being a unit. It has never been an individual show and we support each other. That has kept us going through some tough stretches. We always knew it’s a process and we trusted that process as well as kept our belief in one another.”