Fran Rico
Personal information
Full name Francisco Manuel Rico Castro
Date of birth (1987-08-03) 3 August 1987
Place of birth Portonovo, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1997–2001 Portonovo
2001–2005 Pontevedra
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2008 Pontevedra 60 (3)
2008–2011 Real Madrid B 50 (10)
2011–2019 Granada 111 (9)
2016–2018 → Eibar (loan) 17 (2)
Total 238 (24)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Francisco Manuel Rico Castro (born 3 August 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Formed at Pontevedra, he spent most of his career – riddled with injury problems – at Granada, appearing in 117 competitive matches.[1] In La Liga, he also played with Eibar.

Club career

Pontevedra

Born in Portonovo, Province of Pontevedra, Rico joined local Pontevedra CF's youth ranks at the age of 14, making his senior debut on 18 December 2005 in a Segunda División B match against CD San Isidro.[2]

Mainly a substitute in his first year, he became an important part of the Galicians' squad the following seasons.

Real Madrid

Rico joined Real Madrid in summer 2008, being assigned to the reserve team also in the third division. He made his debut on 31 August, scoring the first goal in a 2–0 win at UD Vecindario.[3] On 14 September, in only his third appearance, against CD Alfaro, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury only eight minutes after the start of the match, being lost for the rest of the campaign.[4]

Thirteen months after his injury, Rico played his first game of the season, against RSD Alcalá. On 8 November 2009, less than one month later, he scored twice in the 4–2 home victory over Gimnástica de Torrelavega.[5]

In the first round of 2010–11, Rico found the net against Coruxo FC in a 3–2 home win.[6] He scored a career-best six goals during the campaign, including one in the unsuccessful promotion playoffs.

Granada

On 5 August 2011, Rico left Castilla and signed for Granada CF, with Real Madrid retaining an option for the player in case of a future transfer.[7] On 25 September, he scored his first La Liga goal in only his second league game for his new team: after replacing Moisés Hurtado at half-time, he netted the equaliser in an eventual 1–1 home draw with CA Osasuna.[8]

In April 2012, Rico was sidelined for the rest of the season after suffering another injury to his right knee.[9][10] He also missed the entirety of the following campaign.[11]

Rico was an ever-present figure for the Andalusians in 2013–14, with his side narrowly avoiding relegation.[1] On 26 February 2015, he renewed his contract with the club until 2020.[12]

On 26 August 2016, Rico was loaned to fellow top-tier side SD Eibar for two years.[13] He missed the entire 2017–18 season, due to the same ailment.[14][15]

Returning to Granada for 2018–19, Rico only appeared in one league match during the campaign for the runners-up.[16] On 16 July 2019, he terminated his contract.[17]

After retiring, Rico worked with Eibar and Sporting de Gijón in directorial capacities.[18]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[19]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Pontevedra 2005–06 Segunda División B 3100——31
2006–07 Segunda División B 22100—2[lower-alpha 1]0241
2007–08 Segunda División B 35151—1[lower-alpha 1]0412
Total 603510030684
Real Madrid B 2008–09 Segunda División B 31———31
2009–10 Segunda División B 184———184
2010–11 Segunda División B 295——2[lower-alpha 1]1316
Total 50100000215211
Granada 2011–12 La Liga 19210——202
2012–13 La Liga 0000——00
2013–14 La Liga 32210——332
2014–15 La Liga 31310——332
2015–16 La Liga 28231——313
2018–19 La Liga 1000——10
Total 111961000011710
Eibar (loan) 2016–17 La Liga 17250——222
2017–18 La Liga 0000——00
Total 172500000222
Career total 23824162005125927
  1. 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in promotion play-offs

References

  1. 1 2 "El pulso de Fran Rico contra su rodilla" [Fran Rico's fight against his knee] (in Spanish). Ideal. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  2. ↑ El Pontevedra cobrará 250.000 euros por Fran Rico (Pontevedra will receive €250,000 for Fran Rico) Archived 11 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine; Diario de Pontevedra, 3 July 2008 (in Spanish)
  3. ↑ El filial del Real Madrid comienza la Liga con buen pie (Real Madrid reserves start league on the right foot) Archived 7 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine; Real Madrid CF, 31 August 2010 (in Spanish)
  4. ↑ Fran Rico inicia su recuperación (Fran Rico starts rehabilitation) Archived 6 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; Real Madrid CF, 6 October 2008 (in Spanish)
  5. ↑ 4–2: Querer es poder (4–2: When there's a will there's a way) Archived 25 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine; Real Madrid CF, 8 November 2009 (in Spanish)
  6. ↑ 3–2: The youth team takes the first three points at stake Archived 2 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine; Real Madrid CF, 29 August 2010
  7. ↑ Fran Rico ficha por el Granada (Fran Rico signs for Granada); Marca, 5 August 2011 (in Spanish)
  8. ↑ Granada and Osasuna share spoils; ESPN Soccernet, 25 September 2011
  9. ↑ Fran Rico, lesionado para el resto de temporada (Fran Rico, injured for rest of the season); Marca, 14 April 2012 (in Spanish)
  10. ↑ Fran Rico: "Estad tranquilos, que volveré" (Fran Rico: "Don't worry, i'll be back"); Ideal, 16 August 2012 (in Spanish)
  11. ↑ Fran Rico será baja toda la temporada tras su operación (Fran Rico will miss entire season after surgery); Ideal, 25 January 2013 (in Spanish)
  12. ↑ Fran Rico renueva por cinco temporadas (Fran Rico renews for five seasons) Archived 26 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine; Granada CF, 26 February 2015 (in Spanish)
  13. ↑ Fran Rico se marcha al Eibar cedido por dos temporadas (Fran Rico goes out to Eibar on loan for two seasons); Granada CF, 26 August 2016 (in Spanish)
  14. ↑ El infierno de Fran Rico (The hell of Fran Rico); Marca, 18 September 2017 (in Spanish)
  15. ↑ Confirmado: Fran Rico no jugará esta temporada (Confirmed: Fran Rico will not play this season); Cadena SER, 10 January 2018 (in Spanish)
  16. ↑ "Fran Rico vuelve dos años y cuatro meses después" [Fran Rico returns two years and four months later] (in Spanish). Be Soccer. 8 June 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  17. ↑ "Comunicado | El Granada CF y Fran Rico acuerdan su desvinculación del club" [Announcement | Granada CF and Fran Rico agree his release from the club] (in Spanish). Granada CF. 16 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  18. ↑ "Fran Rico, fichaje de Javi Rico para el Sporting" [Fran Rico, Javi Rico's signing for Sporting] (in Spanish). La Voz de Asturias. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  19. ↑ Fran Rico at BDFutbol
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