A group of ultras forced former Liverpool midfielder Albert Riera out of his first managerial press conference this week.
As a player, Riera had a brief stint at Anfield under Rafael Benitez between 2008 and 2010.
The left-sided midfielder – who occasionally played at left-back – featured 56 times for the Reds. His spell at the club is widely regarded as an unsuccessful one, as he scored just five goals.
The Spaniard returned to English football in 2014 for a brief spell with Championship side Watford. In his only season, Riera played eight times before receiving a two-match ban to end his season. He was sent off for a bad challenge on Charlton’s Diego Poyet, and had to be dragged away by team-mates. Riera subsequently joined Italian side Udinese.
He also has 16 caps for Spain. However, after that move to Italy, the midfielder wasn’t really heard of again amongst English football fans.
That is, until now.
Riera bags first managerial job
Albert Riera is back in the spotlight, as his first managerial job started in an unorthodox manner.
After enjoying his time as an assistant manager at Turkish giants Galatasaray, the 40-year-old took over the reins at Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana.
The Dragons finished third in the Slovenian PrvaLiga last season, a trophy which they last won in 2018. They also played in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers last term, but failed to qualify for the tournament.
This week, Riera replaced club legend Robert Prosinecki. He was dismissed as manager after just three months in charge.
Prosinecki’s removal as manager was reportedly due to disagreements with the club’s board and president, Adam Delius.
The club hit back at these claims, stating that Prosinecki lacked professionalism. They said that training sessions were often cancelled as a result of the manager staying up late drinking and playing cards. Incredibly, the club has gone through 19 managers since 2015.
Riera arrived at Olimpija Ljubljana ahead of the 2022/23 season this week. However, his unveiling didn’t turn out quite as he would have hoped.
Ultras force Albert Riera out of press conference
A group of mask-wearing ultras stormed into the press conference where the Spaniard was being announced as the new manager of the club.
The club’s ultras go by the name of the Green Dragons. They are one of the biggest ultras groups in Slovenia.
The group confronted Riera and the club’s chairman due to frustrations with the dismissal of Prosineck. They reportedly told the Spaniard that he wasn’t welcome at the club.
Riera left the room because the situation escalated, and tensions began to rise.
The Spaniard’s start to life in Slovenia hasn’t gone how he planned. However, Riera will hope that his side’s performances on the pitch can quell any frustrations off it.
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