From Orlando Pirates to Copenhagen! Former Pirates coach to join European club

The right-hand man of former Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro is set to continue his career in Denmark.

Details: Today, Sergio Almenara was officially unveiled as assistant coach to Jakob Neestrup at Danish side Copenhagen.

The 45-year-old Spaniard joined Jose Riveiro’s coaching staff in 2022, later moving on to become a scout for Finnish club Inter Turku. However, his stint there was short-lived, as he left the team after just two months.

"Before and after Jens Berthel’s departure, we worked purposefully to find the right profile for our coaching team. That’s why we’re delighted to bring Sergio into our staff, with a special focus on set pieces. At the same time, it’s a priority for us to strengthen our strong existing personnel with new international expertise.

As we also see value in developing a more international environment, it’s an added benefit that Sergio is Spanish and can communicate in Spanish.

This fits perfectly with our ambitions to build a team that becomes increasingly international in the future, with a Scandinavian core and backbone.

It’s also about finding the right balance—combining experienced coaches with deep knowledge and fresh input from outside that can help our continued development," said club sporting director Sune Smith-Nielsen about Almenara’s appointment.

In March 2025, Almenara took on the role of technical coach for the Finland national team, specializing in set pieces—a position that caught the eye of the Copenhagen management.

Reminder: Orlando Pirates have appointed a new head coach