Nantes’ transfer and sporting policy under the stewardship of owner Waldemar Kita has often been a subject of mockery and discontent from their fans. But, sometimes, the eight-time French champions strike gold, and they certainly did so when they landed Pedro Chirivella on a free transfer from Liverpool in 2020. The Spanish midfielder has caught the eye of then-Nantes coach Christian Gourcuff – Yoann’s father.
As a coach, Gourcuff emphasised his teams’ technicality in midfield with a slightly dogmatic approach. With Chirivella’s passing and vision, Gourcuff made him a starter immediately, and the former Liverpool hasn’t looked back since, despite the endless cycle of managers’ sackings at La Beaujoire. The former Valencia CF graduate even won his first senior trophy, the 2022 Coupe de France, with Les Canaris. This title gifted Nantes a berth in the Europa League group stage. However, the squad was stretched too thin on all three fronts – the team even reached the Coupe de France final – and results turned disastrous in the league.
Playing through the pain
Unfortunately, Antoine Kombouaré could not rely on Chirivella’s positional awareness and press to trigger transitions and keep the boat afloat. The Spaniard, who had renewed his contract with Nantes until 2026, had to call an end to his season after suffering from a hip strain. With Nantes heading for a return to Ligue 2, Chirivella put his body on the line, making himself available to newly-named Nantes head coach Pierre Aristouy, who lauded his player’s commitment. “Within the squad, Pedro is seen as an extremely generous and valuable player who does a lot of work on the pitch.“
Chirivella played through the pain in the final game of the Ligue 1 season, which Nantes eventually won to ensure their Ligue 1 survival. This season, the former Liverpool man has been handed the captaincy and he does not hesitate to shake his teammates up after a bad performance, as he did against Metz (1-3). “I never thought I would be captain three years after I arrived here. It’s a source of pride, happiness and responsibility. You have to try to get the whole group on the same path to get to the same place“, Chirivella said to Ouest-France recently.
Chirivella’s commitment on and off the pitch has earned him the praise of many. He has been elected Nantes’ player of the month for November. It remains to be seen whether the 26-year-old will keep dictating the tempo at Nantes for the long run or fulfil his ambition to play in La Liga in his peak years.
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
