Black Leopards coach Alejandro Dorado has admitted that Jose Riveiro’s success at Orlando Pirates last season has paved the way for him.
The 38-year-old Dorado was appointed on a three-year deal at Lidoda Duvha on Monday. Just like Riveiro, Dorado also spent time at FC Honka in Finland.
Dorado has also worked with former Real Madrid and Liverpool coach Rafael Benítez in China.
JOSE RIVEIRO SUCCESS AT ORLANDO PIRATES PAVED THE WAY
With another Spanish Pablo Franco Martin recently being appointed as coach at AmaZulu, Dorado believes the success of Riveiro at the Buccaneers played a huge part.
Jose Riveiro won the MTN8 as well as the Nedbank Cup in his first season in South Africa. In addition, Pirates secured a CAF Champions League spot by finishing second in the DStv Premiership under Riveiro.
“In my case, everybody knows that in football when one coach arrives in one country and starts to win everyone starts to take notice and also wants a Spanish coach,” said Dorado.
“Riveiro was at FC Honka before I went there and he is also from the same place as me [Spain]. If he had not won anything with Orlando Pirates, maybe I would not be here.
“If an English or French coach had won, one France or English coach would be here. Currently, the Spanish coaches are leading in terms of coaching. Pep [Guardiola] is there, there are other Spanish coaches who are growing,” he said.
ALEJANDRO DORADO WANTS TO MAKE A MARK AT BLACK LEOPARDS
“It’s time to show the capacity we have and the knowledge that we have in Spain in other countries or in other teams. I am here in South Africa, first, it was Riveiro then Pablo Franco Martin at AmaZulu and now it’s Alejandro Dorado at Black Leopard,” he added.
“I hope that at the end of the season, Alejandro Dorado will have won against AmaZulu or Orlando Pirates. That would be good [he laughed].”
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