Jose Riveiro breaks silence on his Orlando Pirates exit amid Al Ahly links - 'It was a move of being transparent'

Orlando Pirates recently confirmed that coach Jose Riveiro will not renew his contract, which expires at the end of June.

With the Buccaneers struggling in their recent matches, the announcement of the 49-year-old's imminent exit before the season ends has been blamed for their performances.

But Riveiro has broken his silence on not renewing his contract and defended the club's early announcement of his situation.

“I think it [the announcement] is a good way to avoid the speculation,” Riveiro told reporters.

“It is a good way to keep our home under control. At the same time, it was a movement of transparency from our club. I don’t know if it was the first time [in SA football], but it probably is not going to be the last time.

"I think it is a good way to understand the situation of the club, the situation of the coach in this case, to give us an opportunity as coaches, as football players, for the team to be focused on the last part of the season. I’m happy about how the club handled this situation.”

The former Inter Turku coach leaves the Buccaneers after guiding them to three straight MTN8 titles and could lead them to a third successive Nedbank Cups.

Having also helped them reach the Caf Champions League semi-finals, this has seen Riveiro's profile rise in Africa and he is being linked with a move to Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

The Morocco national team has also been mentioned as the next possible job for the Spaniard.

The Buccaneers are searching for a new coach to replace the outgoing Riveiro and names like Benni McCarthy and Pitso Mosimane have been thrown around.

But for now, the focus is on Saturday's SAoweto Derby showdown against Kaizer Chies with the Spaniard seeking to complete a double over Amakhosi this season.