No one was surprised when 24-year-old Fran Rico left Castilla and set course for the First Division. His departure was more than announced, although for a while his destination was uncertain. He was linked to Deportivo la Coruña and Celta de Vigo, both teams from his homeland; but Depor’s relegation and Celta’s permanence in the Second Division made any operation impossible. Curiously, it would be the team who frustrated Celta’s promotion, Granada, who would finally sign me.

In the middle of a flood of signings and in the attempt to raise the quality of the newly promoted squad, Fran Rico’s incorporation for 1 million Euros (at that moment, the most expensive signing of the club, currently, the second most expensive) did not attract too much attention. Fans did not trust much a player coming from a Segunda División B team, and only the effort of the Galician coach, Fabri, made it possible for Fran to land in Los Cármenes.

Fran dazzled in the preseason matches- at La Manga where only a few fans were able to watch and certify how well the ex-castillista midfielder had played- but he didn’t touch the ball in the first league games, with a team in which only the more flashy signings seemed to have a spot. It had to be in Anoeta, against Real Sociedad, where everything changed: Fran played less than half an hour, but he showed so many sparkles of quality that he was named one of the men of the match. In the next game, at Los Cármenes, he came off the bench to score a ‘golazo’ and tie the match. Since then, Fran has been a starter, and has become an idol to the fans. Just about all his performances have verged upon perfection; only a little bump against Barcelona, that has vastly compensated by his performance against Sevilla at the Sánchez Pizjuán – included the comeback-. He hasn’t struggled to adapt since he performs the same role he had played with Castilla: he defends and intelligently cuts off the rivals’ plays, while he is the strategist of his team, the one who distributes the game.
His implication, his passes, his clear-sighted vision of the game has caused Granada’s fans to fall in love with him. Long past is his arrival to Valdebebas as a promising player from Pontevedra’s academy. Long past is his harsh injury, his recovery, his comeback as one of the most important player in the team, his indisputable role as captain of Castilla. Surpassing all that, Fran faces a bigger challenge: to consolidate in the first division, perhaps to make the jump to a superior team. Everything is on his side: quality, circumstances, and the most important thing, the attitude of an authentic fighter.

Adit wrote:Potential ?

He is already 25

Zealous wrote:Barca are away to Getafe. Imagine the epic if Sarabia scores the winner against them

Zealous wrote:Barca are away to Getafe. Imagine the epic if Sarabia scores the winner against them

Adit wrote:Getafe sucks

they never got a point from barca in past 6 years or so ...meh