Victoriano Rivas Álvaro (Spanish pronunciation: [biɣtoˈɾjano ˈriβas ˈalβaɾo]; born 7 July 1980), known as Nano [ˈnano], is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played mainly as a central defender, currently manager of San Fernando CD.

Nano
Nano as a Betis player in 2008
Personal information
Full nameVictoriano Rivas Álvaro
Date of birth (1980-07-07) 7 July 1980 (age 44)
Place of birthCiudad Real, Spain
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)Defender
Team information
Current team
San Fernando (manager)
Youth career
Manchego
Atlético Madrid
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1998–2000Amorós44(3)
2000–2003Atlético Madrid B52(1)
2002–2003Getafe (loan)26(2)
2003–2005Getafe71(5)
2005–2010Betis41(2)
2008–2009Valladolid (loan)12(0)
2010–2012Levante49(4)
2012–2013Guizhou Renhe54(2)
Total349(19)
Managerial career
2015–2016Gimnàstic (assistant)
2016–2017Getafe B
2017Gimnàstic
2018Gimnàstic
2018–2019Roeselare
2019Shanghai Shenhua (assistant)
2022–2023Getafe (assistant)
2024–San Fernando
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He appeared in 138 La Liga matches over seven seasons while scoring ten goals, mainly in representation of Betis (three years) and Levante (two). He also represented in the competition Getafe and Valladolid.

Playing career

Born in Ciudad Real, Castilla–La Mancha, Nano made his professional debut with Atlético Madrid's reserves, spending two full seasons with the Segunda División B side. In 2002–03 he was loaned to Getafe CF in the Segunda División, before moving to the club on a permanent deal in summer 2003; an undisputed starter with the Madrid outskirts team, he scored four goals in 37 games in the 2004–05 campaign, their first ever in La Liga.

Nano joined Real Betis in July 2005.[1] He was set to have a promising season before being injured in the UEFA Champions League group-stage fixture against Chelsea at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera on 1 November, in his first and only appearance in the competition, as he was sidelined for five months;[2] he also featured once in the UEFA Cup and made 14 league appearances in his first year, playing a further 21 matches for a side that finished 16th in 2006–07.

Established as first-choice alongside veteran Juanito in the 2007–08 campaign, Nano scored in the first matchday against Recreativo de Huelva (1–1 away draw),[3] but suffered a severe knee injury against Deportivo de La Coruña on 16 September 2007, which made him miss six months.[4] Upon return from injury, he netted another important goal for the Andalusians, in a 1–1 draw at former club Getafe on 18 May 2008.[5]

On 1 September 2008, a one-year loan deal was agreed as Nano joined Real Valladolid in a season-long move.[6] He appeared scarcely throughout his spell, as both stopper and left-back, and his return to Betis would be even more unassuming as it consisted of one league match (18 minutes), with the team failing to return to the top division.[7]

In August 2010, aged 30, Nano signed for Levante UD.[8] First-choice during his first season, he scored in a 2–0 home win over Atlético Madrid on 4 December.[9]

Nano started in all the games for the Valencian Community side in the first half of 2011–12, as they spent the vast majority of that period in Champions League qualification positions. In very late January 2012, however, he was sold to Guizhou Renhe F.C. of the Chinese Super League.[10]

Nano announced his retirement in February 2014.[11] On 6 July of the following year, he was appointed Vicente Moreno's assistant manager at Gimnàstic de Tarragona.[12]

Coaching career

On 25 May 2016, Nano was named Getafe CF B manager.[13] He returned to Gimnàstic roughly one year later, being appointed at the main squad for the remainder of the season.[14]

Having managed to narrowly avoid relegation, Nano left Nàstic in June 2017. The following 29 January, however, he replaced the fired Rodri at the helm of the same club,[15] but was himself dismissed on 13 May.[16]

Nano was hired by K.S.V. Roeselare of the Belgian First Division B in November 2018, replacing his compatriot Jordi Condom.[17] Only two months later he left to assist Quique Sánchez Flores at Shanghai Shenhua F.C. and was replaced by a third Spaniard, his former Betis teammate Juanito.[18]

On 29 April 2024, after several years of inactivity, Nano was named manager of Primera Federación side San Fernando CD; he replaced the sacked Alfredo Santaelena.[19]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 25 May 2024
Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamNatFromToRecordRef
GWDLGFGAGDWin %
Getafe B 25 May 201620 May 201738179125435+19044.74[20]
Gimnàstic 20 May 201722 June 2017330051+4100.00[21]
Gimnàstic 29 January 201813 May 201815438813−5026.67[22]
Roeselare 12 November 20188 January 2019622277+0033.33[23]
San Fernando 29 April 2024Present421143+1050.00[24]
Total662815237859+19042.42

Honours

Guizhou Renhe

References