‘It’s complex’: Jose Riveiro on working with a big squad at Pirates

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says it can be a “complex” undertaking keeping all the players in a big squad happy.

The website Transfermarkt has 32 players in Bucs’ 2022-23 squad. Some teams, including most of those in Europe, where Riveiro worked previously, prefer a more manageable 24 or 25.

Riveiro was asked after his team’s 3-1 Premiership win against Lamontville Golden Arrows at Orlando Stadium on Saturday about the ideal squad size. Injury-time goals in that game from Terrence Dzvukamanja and Vincent Pule saw Bucs avoid a fourth successive league match without a win. 

“It’s a difficult question for a post-match [press conference],” Riveiro admitted. 

“I’m just working hand to hand with the management of the club to have the best squad we can. The number is just a number. I have to adapt myself to work with this number. I’m happy to do it. It’s complex because we try to make all the players feel the same and we have a limited time to work and share minutes.

“But it’s part of my role. It’s difficult to select, difficult to determine which one is the number [one],” he said.

“I’ve been working in other clubs in Europe with smaller squads, with squads with more experience, with less. You have to adapt yourself. I’m learning a lot this season with the size of the squad in terms of how to keep everyone involved in the process as much as possible.

“It demands a lot of effort for me, but especially for the guys because they are the ones who work during the week to play and I am the one saying, ‘No, you’re not going to play this week’.

“So to keep that relationship, it’s complex, but this is what we like to do,” Riveiro said.

“I cannot tell you the [ideal squad size] number. We want good players and we are lucky at Pirates that we have a bunch of good players in our hands.”

Riveiro won support from Pirates’ demanding supporters and management by winning the MTN8 trophy in November.

Bucs’ three successive league defeats against Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City either side of the World Cup break took the bottom out of their outside chance of challenging runaway leaders Downs for the Premiership title.

Lagging in fifth place with 22 points from 16 matches, Pirates will hope to begin clawing back into the top three spaces with a positive result against 13th-placed Stellenbosch FC at Orlando Stadium on Sunday (3.30pm).