Christian Rivera (Spanish footballer)

Christian Rivera
Rivera with Spain U18 in 2015
Personal information
Full name Christian Rivera Hernández
Date of birth (1997-07-09) 9 July 1997
Place of birth Gijón, Spain
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
Torpedo Kutaisi
Number 40
Youth career
Sporting Gijón
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Oviedo B 20 (0)
2015–2016 Oviedo 13 (1)
2016–2018 Eibar 24 (0)
2018Barcelona B (loan) 18 (0)
2018–2021 Las Palmas 9 (0)
2018–2019Huesca (loan) 22 (2)
2019–2020Leganés (loan) 5 (0)
2020Girona (loan) 8 (0)
2021–2024 Sporting Gijón 73 (1)
2025– Torpedo Kutaisi 4 (0)
International career
2015 Spain U18 2 (0)
2014–2016 Spain U19 9 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:38, 8 July 2025 (UTC)

Christian Rivera Hernández (born 9 July 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Erovnuli Liga club Torpedo Kutaisi.

Club career

Born in Gijón, Asturias, Rivera was a Sporting de Gijón youth graduate. In July 2013 he nearly joined Atlético Madrid,[2] but his transfer was blocked by Sporting's board and he was left out of the Juvenil squad; on 2 September of the following year he moved to Real Oviedo instead.[3]

Initially appearing with the B-team in Tercera División, Rivera was called up to the main squad in May 2015. He made his first team debut on the 16th, starting in a 2–3 away loss against Coruxo FC in the Segunda División B championship.[4]

Rivera made his professional debut on 4 October 2015, coming on as a half-time substitute for Diego Aguirre in a 1–1 Segunda División home draw against RCD Mallorca.[5] Thirteen days later he scored his first goal in the category, netting his team's last in a 3–2 home win against AD Alcorcón.[6]

On 1 July 2016, Rivera signed a three-year deal with La Liga side SD Eibar.[7] He made his debut in the category on 19 August, starting in a 1–2 away loss against Deportivo de La Coruña.

On 11 January 2018, Rivera was loaned to FC Barcelona B in the second division until the end of the season, with an option to buy.[8] He moved to fellow second division side UD Las Palmas on 31 July, after agreeing to a four-year deal.[9]

On 25 October 2018, Rivera joined SD Huesca in the main category on loan until the end of the season, replacing injured Luisinho.[10] The following 2 September, after suffering relegation, he moved to CD Leganés also in a temporary deal.[11]

On 31 January 2020, Rivera's loan with Lega was terminated, and he instead joined Girona FC on loan until June.[12][13] Upon returning, he was assigned to Las Palmas' main squad, but under a layoff;[14] the club later revoked the decision.[15]

On 19 July 2021, Rivera returned to his first club Sporting after signing a four-year contract.[16] On 26 June 2024, the club announced his departure at the end of the month.[17]

In March 2025, Rivera joined Georgian Erovnuli Liga club Torpedo Kutaisi on a three-year deal.[18]

Career statistics

As of match played 24 May 2025[19][20]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Oviedo 2014–15 Segunda División B 1 0 0 0 2[b] 0 3 0
2015–16 Segunda División 12 1 1 0 0 0 13 1
Total 13 1 1 0 2 0 16 1
Eibar 2016–17 La Liga 17 0 5 0 0 0 22 0
2017–18 La Liga 7 0 1 0 0 0 8 0
Total 24 0 6 0 0 0 30 0
Las Palmas 2018–19 Segunda División 3 0 1 0 0 0 4 0
2020–21 Segunda División 6 0 1 0 0 0 7 0
Total 9 0 2 0 0 0 11 0
Huesca (loan) 2018–19 La Liga 22 2 1 0 0 0 23 2
Leganés (loan) 2019–20 La Liga 5 0 2 0 0 0 7 0
Girona (loan) 2019–20 Segunda División 8 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
Sporting de Gijón 2021–22 Segunda División 21 1 4 0 0 0 25 1
2022–23 Segunda División 24 0 2 1 0 0 26 1
2023–24 Segunda División 28 0 1 0 2[c] 0 31 0
Total 73 1 7 1 2 0 82 2
Torpedo Kutaisi 2025 Erovnuli Liga 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Career total 158 4 19 1 0 0 4 0 181 5

Honours

Oviedo

References

  1. ^ "Christian Rivera" (in Spanish). Sporting de Gijón. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Continúa el éxodo de promesas sportinguistas" [The exodus of pearls sportinguistas continues] (in Spanish). Golaverage. 25 July 2013. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  3. ^ "El juvenil Cristian Rivera se va del Sporting al Oviedo" [Juvenil Cristian Rivera goes from Sporting to Oviedo] (in Spanish). La Nueva España. 2 September 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Coruxo 3 Real Oviedo 2". Real Oviedo Ireland. 17 May 2015. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  5. ^ "El Oviedo se estrella ante el mejor Mallorca de la temporada" [Oviedo crashes against the best Mallorca of the season]. Marca (in Spanish). 4 October 2015. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  6. ^ "La pegada del Oviedo puede con el Alcorcón" [Oviedo's will can handle Alcorcón]. Marca (in Spanish). Spain. 17 October 2015. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. ^ "SD Eibar cierra la contratación hasta 2019 de Jordi Calavera y Christian Rivera" [SD Eibar complete the signing until 2019 of Jordi Calavera and Christian Rivera] (in Spanish). SD Eibar. 1 July 2016. Archived from the original on 5 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  8. ^ "Acuerdo con la SD Eibar para la cesión de Rivera" [Agreement with SD Eibar for the loan of Rivera] (in Spanish). FC Barcelona. 11 January 2018. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  9. ^ "Christian Rivera, fichaje amarillo procedente del Eibar" [Christian Rivera, amarillo signing from Eibar] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 31 July 2018. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Christian Rivera se incorpora a la SD Huesca" [Christian Rivera joins SD Huesca] (in Spanish). SD Huesca. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Christian Rivera, cedido al CD Leganés" [Christian Rivera, loaned to CD Leganés] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Christian Rivera, cedido al Girona FC" [Christian Rivera, loaned to Girona FC] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  13. ^ "Christian Rivera ya es el nuevo pivote defensivo del Girona". Marca.com (in Spanish). 31 January 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  14. ^ "La UD Las Palmas aplica el ERTE a los jugadores Raúl Fernández y Christian Rivera" [UD Las Palmas apply the ERTE to the players Raúl Fernández and Christian Rivera] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Comunicado Oficial" [Official announcement] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  16. ^ "Christian Rivera firma con el Sporting hasta 2025" [Christian Rivera signs with Sporting until 2025] (in Spanish). Sporting Gijón. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Comunicado oficial: Christian Rivera" [Official announcement: Christian Rivera] (in Spanish). Sportin Gijón. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  18. ^ @fctorpedokutaisi; (12 March 2025). "✍️ 27 წლის ესპანელი საყრდენი ნახევარმცველი კრისტიან რივერა "ტორპედოს" ფეხბურთელია. 🇪🇸 ესპანელმა ნახევარმცველმა ბოლო 3 სეზონი ხიხონის "სპორტინგში" გაატარა. მანამდე კი კარიერის განმავლობაში ესპანურ გუნდებში თამაშობდა, როგორებიცაა: "ლას პალმასი", "ხირონა", "ლეგანესი", "უესკა", "ეიბარი", "ბარსელონა B". ✔️ ესპანეთის ლა ლიგაში რივერამ 51 მატჩი ჩაატარა და 2 გოლი გაიტანა, ხოლო ლა ლიგა 2-ში - 120 მატჩი. იყო ესპანეთის 19-წლამდელთა ნაკრების წევრი, რომლის რიგებში საქართველოს ნაკრების წინააღმდეგ უთამაშია. 📑 გამოცდილმა ესპანელმა "ტორპედოსთან" 3-წლიანი კონტრაქტი გააფორმა. @c6rive 👋🖤" [✍️ 27-year-old Spanish defensive midfielder Cristian Rivera is a player of Torpedo. 🇪🇸 The Spanish midfielder spent the last 3 seasons at Sporting Gijon. Before that, he played for Spanish teams such as Las Palmas, Girona, Leganes, Huesca, Eibar, and Barcelona B. ✔️ Rivera played 51 matches and scored 2 goals in the Spanish La Liga, and 120 matches in La Liga 2. He was a member of the Spanish U-19 national team, where he played against the Georgian national team. 📑 The experienced Spaniard has signed a 3-year contract with Torpedo. @c6rive 👋🖤] (in Georgian). Retrieved 14 March 2025 – via Instagram.
  19. ^ Christian Rivera at Soccerway
  20. ^ Christian Rivera at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)