Ricardo Lourenco
“THEY SAY THINGS LIKE,‘I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU LEFT PIRATES, WHEN DID YOU LEAVE?’”
Once a fan-favourite at Orlando Pirates despite never kicking a ball for the first team, Lourenco is now plying his trade in Botswana, but hopes for a PSL return.
Ricardo Lourenco represented one of the unique talents that emerged from the now defunct Bidvest Wits academy with his playmaking ability earning him a move to the Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle as a teenager. After a reality-check within the rigours of European football, the stocky midfielder returned to South Africa, where his potential was quickly noticed by Orlando Pirates as he became a fan favourite despite never making his first-team debut. KICK OFF’S Lorenz Köhler spoke to the 25-year-old about why he left the Soweto giants after three years, what prevented what seemed an inevitable pathway to success and how he resurfaced in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup with Botswana champions Jwaneng Galaxy.
KICK OFF: Let’s start with your feelings about Bidvest Wits disappearing, a club that developed you towards professional football.
Ricardo Lorenco: Honestly, it’s a bit of a shame. A club so rich in history, one of the oldest club’s in the league, if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be in this football journey. It’s sad because of how many good players came out of there, it was a great club, just gutted to see it go. I was there from 15 to 18 – it was my first taste of an academy set-up.
How did you end up at Orlando Pirates after Wits led you to the taste of European football as a teenager?
I went to Zwolle in 2014 but I was on trial at [Liga Nos outfit] Victoria Guimaraes first before spending a pre-season with the B team. I stayed there for the whole pre-season as 30-40 players came and went and the week before the season started, I didn’t sign a deal. I then was told I need to leave and go to the Netherlands, while many of the players were shocked because they thought I signed having been there for so long. After four days at Zwolle I signed there. I was there for a season and half, it was good. I was still a little bit immature as I was 18. I had to learn fast being away from South Africa, off the field that is. The first-team coach Ron Jans really liked me, he was quite sad when I asked to leave but he understood because I wasn’t playing as much as I wanted to. In hindsight, I should have stuck it out a bit longer but I don’t have too many regrets leaving. I learnt a lot about myself and the different way of football in comparison to South Africa and Europe. After six months without a club, I went to Maccabi in the ABC Motespe League. But they asked me to go against my own will to play the Pirates Cup, which was an Under-21 tournament and from there we went to the finals or semifinals. Pirates selected about 40 players out of the 24 teams for a three-week assessment. We were then selected into a squad that toured England, I remember scoring against Queens Park Rangers, but we got hammered at Manchester United. I then signed a threeyear contract when I got back.
You were a real fan favourite as the captain of the MDC (DStv Diski Challenge) team and there were constant calls for your promotion to the first-team. What happened?
I played MDC for three months before having a meeting with four players in November and they told us we’d be promoted to the first-team in the new year with no more reserve team commitments. January came and only two of us were selected, it wasn’t great. But I just stuck at it and carried on. I think my performances that season spoke for itself and I was training often with the first-team, but that’s what happened. Lots of players continued to get promoted ahead of me and it is what it is. I had a two-year extension after my three-year deal but we parted ways mutually. I wasn’t keen on the conditions and they weren’t keen on retaining me.
Did they give you any reason why you weren’t promoted?
It wasn’t ever brought up, it was just a ‘thank-you for your services’ and we moved on. There were a couple of things when they said I need to watch my weight because I pick up easy without unhealthy habits. I can’t tell you why it never happened. It was good time though, I had fun, I learnt a lot about what it means to play for a big team.
What did you tell the fanatical fans who asked about where you are when you left? I know you had plenty of admirers...
Whenever they messaged me I was often surprised, I still get messages from the fans up until today. They say things like, ‘I can’t believe you left Pirates, when did you leave?’ I didn’t really reply to many of them. But there was one that tested me, he commented on every post I made, asking me where I am. I eventually told him my contract wasn’t renewed and I think he was the only one I spoke to. I didn’t expect to have that affection from the fans but I really appreciate it.
So what happened next? You were out the game for a season ...
I left it to my agent under the assumption he was going to find something because even when I was at Pirates he was saying he wanted to get me back to Europe because he felt that was the right avenue for me. We couldn’t find a team when I left so we decided it was best if we part ways. So funny story what happened next, one of Pirates’ most fanatical fans, he watches all their games and knows everything around the club, he messaged me saying, ‘I have this guy who wants to speak to you, he’s an agent’. I didn’t know whether or not to take him seriously but I was four months without anything. I eventually thought, ‘you don’t know where something can come from’. So he put me in contact with my current agent and he came to me with several offers from Serbia, Kazakhstan and a couple of countries in Europe, but not A-Grade with fantastic money or a place where footballers go and get bought from. I turned all of them down until he came with this offer from Botswana where there was CAF Champions League on offer and I just thought this could be something really good, if we draw South African teams, to showcase myself. And fortunately for me it’s worked out that way with Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, it’s crazy to even think about it. The plan of me coming here has already worked in my first three months, much faster than we thought. Things are going good with the leap of faith.
You played against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus in the Champions League, talk us through the experience against the best team in South Africa?
Sundowns are one of the best on the continent, they will always be. It was a good experience to challenge myself to see where I’m at against the highest level of club football in Africa. I thought I held my own, especially in the second leg. In the first, it didn’t go to plan but at Loftus I thought I did myself justice, I felt at home and, like you said, it was a high level game that I actually thought would be at a higher pace – maybe that would have been down to playing a good team that you end up playing at their pace. But I always expected different from Pirates with their style. But yeah, I feel I posed problems to them, I had a couple of chances that maybe could have affected the match if I took them but It wasn’t to be.
Did you get any acknowledgement from the Sundowns coaches or calls since then?
I spoke to coach Rhulani [Mokwena] because I know him from by Wits days when
“MANY OF THE PLAYERS WERE SHOCKED BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT I SIGNED HAVING BEEN THERE FOR SO LONG.” “HE [MOKWENA] COMPLIMENTED MY MOVEMENT IN THE GAME AND ADVISED ME TO KEEP IT UP, LOOK AFTER MY BODY AND TIPPED ME TO RETURN TO THE PSL.”
he was a youth coach at Platinum Stars. We used to play against each other, so I have known him for eight years, he obviously came to Pirates too. We had a chat after both legs, we spoke about how it is in Africa and how difficult it is and he was impressed with the return leg performance. He complimented my movement in the game and advised me to keep it up, look after my body and tipped me to return to the PSL. It’s always good to get recognition from a real student of the game, he’s football 24/7 and you can learn so much from him.
What’s your feeling of playing Pirates with your history with them?
It’s funny because someone at Pirates messaged me before the draw saying there’s a possibility we could play against them and a few hours later he sent a few laughing faces on WhatsApp saying we drew you guys. It’s similar to Sundowns, to prove myself against one of the better teams, I didn’t feel I need to prove myself because I was there for a few years. I just needed to play the game and now what it signifies. People may think I have a point to prove I just always want to play the game and prove to myself that I belong at that level.
What’s the feeling from your squad and fans when drawing a PSL team?
It’s massive. I think the PSL is watched here [Botswana] more than the Premier League, I’m being dead honest. They watch every game, when I go to the club restaurant I see the fans and they all tell me everyone has a South African team and
Botswana team they support. Every week they watch the league, they know a lot about what goes on, players and supporters – they are very up to date. The squad relish the opportunities.
What are your ambitions at Jwaneng based on what you’ve experienced of the quality of the squad? Are you realising your goals to become a PSL footballer instead of returning abroad?
It’s a tough question, the heart says Europe but the mind says South Africa, to be dead honest with you. South Africa is my home. A lot of people still don’t know that and I don’t know how, I was born in South Africa. If I was three years younger I’d be willing to go where I could develop and possibly get to a decent league after that. But I’m not at the age where that’s possible. But you don’t know where an opportunity can come from these days. Football is just a really funny game, one minute you’re in it, the next you’re out for a year and a half and your next game is in the CAF Champions League. It’s crazy. I won’t rule out [going to Europe] because that’s where all footballers aspire to be, the smallest continent in the world but everyone wants to play there. But my focus is to get back into the PSL and establish myself there.
What would you have done if you didn’t get this move to Jwaneng?
I don’t know... I went to play for coach Tiro van Rooyen, I worked with him and coach Thabo Senong in Amajita. He was coaching a team in the SAB League and I was there for six months and they helped me a lot at Yacouba to get back on my feet. But yeah I’m still a student, maybe I would need to use my degree in accounting. I don’t think it would be a bad paying job.
Has this experience made you hungrier for success?
Yes, being here in Jwaneng made me realise how much football really means to me because there was a stage where I fell out of love with the game. I sat there and wondered how the world done me wrong, maybe it has, maybe it hasn’t. But it’s also yourself to blame about where you are, in a team sport you can’t always control all the outcomes. But it’s made me realise what I want and what sacrifices I need to make to get myself where I need to be. I believe I have the ability to play at the highest level and it’s now up for me to show it.