Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has admitted that he went through an enormous amount of stress to prepare his side ahead of the MTN8 final on Saturday.
He said if you cannot manage to be in this position clubs will “fire you”.
The stress shooting up the volume was brought after Pirates were not at their best coming to the Wafa Wafa final match, having essentially lost all their last four matches in all competitions.
Sundowns, on the other hand, were clinical, having won 12 of the 13 matches prior to the final.
The Tshwane giants were heavy favourite as they last lost to Pirates was in the 2019/20 season, and Sundowns also beat the Soweto giants in the final of the same competition 16 years ago when it was known as SAA Supa 8 before telecommunication took over in the following season.
“How much stress? You don’t want to know about it,” said Riveiro.
“This is not an easy job. Obviously when you get to the results that you don’t want to get, you have to look for different solutions.
“Like I said many times, the pressure is something that requires you to keep going, to improve and I don’t have problems with that to be honest.
“I try to believe in what we do, not only what I do because I’m not that alone and many people try to push in the same direction. When you know what you are doing, when you know what you want to do, there is no pressure.
“There is only one way that you trust, trying to convince and inspire the players the same way and for me it is very important because players don’t have to feel like the guys who are running the business get nervous or doubt – stuff like that.
“In one week or two I’m not going to say what we were, but the football followers and staff (did not change) and today we are champions.
“Following that way to approach life in general and in this case professional life, you can manage to be in this position. If you don’t, it’s difficult and they (clubs) will fire you.”
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At the end, Pirates defended their MTN8 trophy by beating Sundowns 3-1 on penalty shootouts, with much-maligned Pirates goalie Sipho Chaine saving three penalties after the game finished goalless draw after it went to extra time.
