OFFICIAL! European club appoints former Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro after poor stint with Al Ahly

Former Orlando Pirates mentor Jose Riveiro has been appointed as the new head coach of Swedish giants AIK Football.

Popularly known as AIK, the 12-time Swedish league champions have trusted the Spaniard to guide them to glory once more. The Stockholm-based outfit has been elusively chasing the league title, a trophy they last lifted in 2018 and were last runners-up in 2021. 

"AIK Football have agreed with José Riveiro on the role of new head coach of the club's men's team," the club announced.

"The 48-year-old Spaniard most recently came from the Egyptian giants Al Ahly but also has previous coaching experience from Finland, Spain, and South Africa, among others.

"The agreement is valid until December 31, 2028, and José will join on the first day of the training camp in Spain."

AIK Football's recruitment manager, Miika Takkula, has explained why they have preferred and trusted the legendary Pirates coach.

"We chose José as the new head coach after an extensive recruitment process where we sought a coach who would fit the playing style that AIK strives for, as well as fit into the club's deeper culture. José is an excellent match in both of these areas," said Takkula.

"His understanding of modern football and its development, including player development, is at a very high level. In addition, his personality and values fit well into the club environment," the AIK top official added. 

"It is with great enthusiasm that I look forward to working together with him and the team."

As he takes over the coaching role, replacing Mikkjal Thomassen, Riveiro is happy with his new job.

"I am very proud and happy to be part of a club that truly lives and breathes football. AIK is a club with a strong identity, high ambitions, and an enormous passion around the team," Riveiro said. 

"Now I am really looking forward to getting started, building relationships, and working closely with the players and my colleagues to develop the team every day and take the next step both individually and collectively."

After an impressive three-season stint with Pirates, where he won five trophies, the Spaniard left before he was appointed by Egyptian giants, Al Ahly.

However, things did not go as anticipated, as he was fired after a poor start to the season. 

Riveiro, while recalling his time at the perennial CAF Champions League winners, said it is a chapter he would like to forget very fast.

"It's a difficult place; let's leave it there. It wasn't only about the results; we wanted to do a lot more when we arrived, but you need the proper support to do it, and we didn't have it," Riveiro said in an earlier interview.

"We unfortunately couldn't start the way we wanted to. I think the people were realising that we were trying to do something different with the group and changing the style of the team in a very short space of time," he added.

"We only had 10-11 training sessions before the Club World Cup started, and there were many new signings joining the group. In terms of performance, I was quite happy, and the fan reaction was very positive.

"Unfortunately, the beginning of the season did not play out the way we had hoped, and it only took four games for people at the club to lose their patience."

Now set for a different club on a different continent, Riveiro can only hope for a better time than what he experienced in Egypt.