Andy Bara talks about Alberto Riera: He didn’t like the idea of staying in Slovenia at first, but came back because he wanted to prove himself
Alber Riera won the double crown last season with Olimpija He is doing very well again this year. Currently with its Celje he leads the First Telemach League with a four-point advantage (and a game more) over second-placed Koper. In an interview for the Dribler podcast, the Spaniard’s agent Andy Bara, one of the most influential figures in Croatian football, told the story of Alberto Riera. First he touched on the last season and Olimpija, and then he explained why the former top football player decided to join Celje.
“Riera came to Olimpija to prove himself as a coach. Before that, he was an assistant at Galatasaray. The boss of Olimpija asked me if I had a coach for them. I replied that I had one, but that it didn’t have the CV they expected. I told him he was Spanish and that he understood football. He is linked to Arteta and Guardiola, they share a similar way of thinking. He has played for Liverpool, Manchester City, Galatasaray and Olympiakos. I told him to take it and we agreed. Riera signed his contract and won the double crown,” explained the Croat.
Andy Bara: “The price was unrealistic for Celje at first”
Andy Bara continued with the events that took place after Riera’s departure from Ljubljana: “At the end of last season, Riera wished he had left Ljubljana. That is what happened. He has had 3 or 4 offers from abroad. Before he could accept any of them, I was contacted by Valerij Kolotilo, the first man of Celje. He called me and asked me if there was any chance of Riera signing for them. I told him that it would be very difficult to do. I spoke to Riera and asked him if he wanted to go to Celje. He replied that he didn’t like the idea very much and that he was waiting for another offer. He told him that if he wins the Slovenian championship with Celje, he will prove himself as a coach. And that’s what attracted him. He really wants to prove himself. We set our price, which was a bit unrealistic for Celje at first. But the people of Celjan agreed to the conditions we set and Riera is happy to stay in Slovenia.”
Finally, Andy Bara added about the Mallorca expert: “I think he will become a great coach and have a great career. Football is alive 24 hours a day. I don’t know what level it will reach, but I’m sure it will be at least in the Spanish top flight.“
This text was automatically translated using AI.
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