Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has welcomed the FIFA international break as he feels it will afford him ample time to iron out certain things in the team despite an impressive start to the 2024/25 season. 

The Buccaneers head into the short recess with their unbeaten start in the Betway Premiership still intact thanks to a 1-0 victory over Richards Bay to win their seventh league game on the bounce from the opening game of the season. 

As that win saw Riveiro’s charges set a new club record of seven consecutive wins at the beginning of a PSL campaign, they surpassed the previous record of six matches dating back to the 2002/03 term. 

While many teams and coaches usually view the break as a momentum disruptor, the Spanish mentor says it’s a perfect opportunity for some of his players to get a much-needed rest and for the technical team to fine-tune their tactics. 

“There’s nothing I can do, so I take it as it is – as a break. It doesn’t matter if I prefer the break or not like I said many times. One of the keys to succeed in modern football is planning and we have now the opportunity to utilize this time, ” said Riveiro. 

“At least to rest some of our players, to refine some of the players and the team dynamics, behavior patterns. You have more time to look at some of the smaller details that when you are competing every two or three days you don’t have the time and opportunity to do.” 

Though he welcomes the break, Riveiro made an honest admission about the desire of the coaching staff and his troops to continue playing domestic matches as the Soweto giants have been getting favorable results in what is likely to be a title-chasing season. 

“So, I’m always taking everything like something positive for us, if there’s a break it’s going to be positive for us for sure because we are going to use the time to come back better, ” stated the 49-year-old tactician who oversaw his 100th game in charge of the club in the last outing. 

“Obviously when you’re winning every two, three days you don’t want to stop, I’m not going to lie, you want to keep going, especially the players when they are having fun on the field and the result is coming for us.” 

However, the Bucs coach went on to highlight the significance of the break with a looming fixture congestion where Pirates will be juggling between continental and domestic duties for the next couple of months. It is going to be madness when it comes to matches from now on until March next year. 

“You want to continue, but now many of them have different compromises with their national teams, they will continue competing and the other ones will stay here in Joburg and continue to prepare for what’s coming, which is an extremely tight schedule, ” Riveiro noted. 

“November, December, January, and February are something else, I think the next FIFA break is in March if I’m not mistaken, so once we start again after this one, we don’t stop anymore so it’s going to be an important part in our preparations for the upcoming months.”