 Riga in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1957-07-30)30 July 1957 (age 68) | ||
| Place of birth | Liège, Belgium | ||
| Position | Midfielder[1] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1974–1985 | Visé | ||
| 1985–1989 | JS Haccourt | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1991–1996 | JS Haccourt | ||
| 1996–2000 | Espanola Liège | ||
| 2000–2002 | Visé | ||
| 2002–2003 | Sprimont Comblain Sport | ||
| 2005–2008 | Mons | ||
| 2011–2012 | Standard Liège | ||
| 2014 | Charlton Athletic | ||
| 2014 | Blackpool | ||
| 2015 | Standard Liège | ||
| 2015 | Metz | ||
| 2016 | Charlton Athletic | ||
| 2016–2017 | Cercle Brugge | ||
| 2018 | Club Africain | ||
| 2019–2022 | Visé | ||
| 2022 | JS Kabylie | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
José Riga (born 30 July 1957) is a Belgian football manager and former player. He had a fifteen-year playing career as a midfielder, beginning in 1974 when he joinedC.S. Visé. He remained with the club for eleven years, before joining fellow Belgian club JS Haccourt in 1985. He played for JS Haccourt for four years. Two years after retiring from playing, he became JS Haccourt's manager.
Riga managed JS Haccourt for five years, departing in 1996. He then managed Espanola Liège (1996–2000), Visé (2000–2002), Sprimont Comblain Sport (2002–2003),Mons (2005–2008) andStandard Liège (2011–2012).
In 2014, he began a year of managing in England, firstly withCharlton Athletic, thenBlackpool.[2] In 2015, he returned to Standard Liège briefly, then managedMetz. In 2016, he returned to Charlton Athletic.[3]
Later in 2016, he managedCercle Brugge, thenClub Africain (2018), Visé (2019–2022)[4] andJS Kabylie (2022), his last known club.[5]
Riga was appointed manager ofCharlton Athletic on 11 March 2014, one day after the sacking ofChris Powell, who had been dismissed when he and the club owner were unable to reach agreement over the long-term vision for the club. At the time Charlton were fourth from bottom of theChampionship.[6] Riga was appointed the manager with a contract until the end of the2013–14 season; the main task was to avoid relegation. This was achieved on 29 April 2014 following a 3–1 home win againstWatford.[7]
On 3 June 2014, it was reported that Riga had agreed to a deal to become manager ofBlackpool, and was set to start the following week.[8] The following day, club chairmanKarl Oyston confirmed that there was a verbal agreement in place,[9] and on 11 June he was confirmed as the new manager.[10] Three weeks later, newspaper reports claimed that Riga was unsettled and ready to quit. Whilst the club and Riga did not comment, no coaching staff had been appointed and even though the club had just seven contracted players, no signings had been made. With so few players, no assistant or backroom staff appointed, and the squad due to report back on 30 June, Riga had to delay the start of pre-season training.[11]
On 9 July it was confirmed that, with still just eight players at the club, Riga had three backroom staff, all of whom had agreed to start working the previous week but had still not signed contracts.[12] Two days later it was stated that tensions were high at the club, and between Riga and Oyston.[13] On 17 July, having already cancelled a pre-season trip to Spain to focus on signings, it was claimed that Riga's future was even more uncertain following reports of a dispute with the chairman over transfer policy.[14] Two days later Blackpool played a friendly away againstNorthern LeagueDivision One sidePenrith, fielding five triallists in the starting line-up with two more on the substitutes bench and with just six fit registered players, the rest of the match day squad was made up of youth team players. Riga was given a standing ovation by the Blackpool fans. Then after the match it was reported that when the media requested to speak with Riga, he had told his staff and players not to give any interviews.[15]
Having won only one of fifteen games in charge, Riga was sacked by Blackpool on 27 October 2014. He became the club's second shortest-serving manager in their history, behindMichael Appleton.[16]
On 2 February 2015, Riga returned to Standard Liège in Belgium, where he was re-appointed manager followingIvan Vukomanović's departure.[17] He took charge of his first game four days later, winning 3–0 againstMouscron.[18] Towards the end of the season, he announced he would not be prolonging his contract.Slavoljub Muslin was announced as his successor on 5 June.[19]
On 14 January 2016, Riga was appointed head coach of Charlton Athletic for the second time. His first win came away atRotherham United in a 4-1 victory. Following the relegation he left the club and was replaced byRussell Slade.
Riga was appointed head coach atCercle Brugge in theBelgian First Division B on 1 November 2016 but was sacked in October 2017.
On 14 October 2019, Riga was appointed sporting director ofURSL Visé.[20]
On 22 June 2022, Riga was appointed head coach ofJS Kabylie.[21] On 6 September, he was sacked.[22]
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| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Mons | Belgium | 6 June 2005 | 28 January 2008 | 92 | 35 | 22 | 35 | 038.04 |
| Standard Liège | Belgium | 28 June 2011 | 13 May 2012 | 46 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 050.00 |
| Charlton Athletic | England | 11 March 2014 | 27 May 2014 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 043.75 |
| Blackpool | England | 11 June 2014 | 27 October 2014 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 006.67 |
| Standard Liège | Belgium | 2 February 2015 | 5 June 2015 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 046.67 |
| Metz | France | June 2015 | December 2015 | 23 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 043.48 |
| Charlton Athletic | England | January 2016 | 7 May 2016 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 025.00 |
| Total | 227 | 88 | 55 | 84 | 038.77 | |||