Ex-Real Madrid assistant coach confirms Orlando Pirates offer after Jose Riveiro's exit - 'They are right now in the place they deserve, winning trophies and being dominant on the continent'

Orlando Pirates have been delivering under coach Jose Riveiro, who was confirmed as the new man in the 2022/23 season.

After three years, the Spaniard opted against extending his stay and has since been linked to Al Ahly.

The Egyptian heavyweights are without a coach following Marcel Koller's sacking.

Prior to appointing Riveiro as their new coach, Bucs had given a chance to Fadlu Davids and Mandla Ncikazi as co-coaches.

However, the duo did not deliver as anticipated, and the management decided to go with a new tactician.

Former Simba SC man Pablo Franco Martin was among the people who were considered by the Soweto giants.

However, the former AmaZulu tactician, who served as Real Madrid's assistant coach in 2018, denied the offer and has since justified his decision.

“When I was at Simba I received a proposal from them [Orlando Pirates] but it was not the right time,” he told FARPost.

“When I am involved in a project, I like to respect the club, the people I work with, and the fans, so I don’t like to leave even when I receive a better offer. But as a coach, of course, I always want to train the best teams possible.

Pirates are such a big club, and they are right now in the place they deserve, winning trophies and being dominant on the continent.

“Since I arrived in SA, I have always said that the credit is for their players and technical staff, but also for their owner and board because they believed in a project and supported them in the bad days. That is why they are collecting trophies now," Martin continued.

“I already had a few approaches from PSL teams this season. I just need an ambitious project that gives me the chance to fight for winning championships again,” he concluded.

Currently, Martin is in Saudi Arabia, where he is coaching Al-Faisaly, a team he has been managing since 2024.

Having conceded he would love to coach in the Premier Soccer League again, it is interesting to see whether Bucs might give him a chance.