Cristian Benavente arrived in France with the firm intention of gaining minutes to return to the Peruvian National Team. His loan to Nantes was well received by Ricardo Gareca's coaching staff, as it meant the return of 'Chaval' to a more competitive league.
However, his lack of playing time surprised many, so the coach of the French club came out to explain the reasons why he has only started one match and played three as a substitute.
"He is a very good player. Cristian Benavente has been preparing specially because he joined the club's preseason late," commented Nantes coach, Christian Gourcuff, in a press conference.
The French team is in second place in the Ligue 1 standings, tied with Angers with 16 points each. The team leading the French tournament is Paris Saint-Germain, with 18 points.
Benavente has played 102 minutes, with only one start and three appearances as a substitute. He arrived at the Canary club in August of this year and his loan is fixed until June 2020.
He was not included in the new call-up for the Peruvian National Team, although the player hopes to have the opportunity to wear the national colors again. There is one more FIFA date in November, before the start of the World Cup 2022 qualifiers.
Christian Cueva talked about his conversation with Ricardo Gareca. (Video: José Luis Saldaña)
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