Nico (footballer, born 1916)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Nico

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| full_name = Diego Forcén Cabito

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|02|03|df=y}}

| birth_place = Madrid, Spain

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|01|07|1916|01|03|df=yes}}

| death_place = Spain

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1935–1936 | clubs1 = Atlético Madrid | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 1939–1944 | clubs2 = Atlético Aviación | caps2 = 13 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1939–1940 | clubs3 = → Imperio (on loan) | caps3 = | goals3 =

| years4 = 1940–1942 | clubs4 = → Salamanca (on loan) | caps4 = | goals4 =

| years5 = 1944–1945 | clubs5 = Gimnástica de Torrelavega | caps5 = | goals5 =

| totalcaps = 13 | totalgoals = 0

| manageryears1 = 1949–1950

| managerclubs1 = Recreativo de Huelva

}}

Diego Forcén Cabito, better known as Nico (3 February 1916 – 7 January 2002) was a Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder for Atlético Madrid in the early 1940s.

Playing career

Born on 3 February 1916 in Madrid, Nico began his career at his hometown club Atlético Madrid in 1935, aged 19, but because the coach preferred to rely on veterans, he ended up playing only a single official match with the first team that season, a Copa del Rey match against Sporting de Gijón on 26 April 1936, which ended in a 5–1 loss.{{cite web |url=https://www.infoatleti.es/jugador/nico-forcen |title=Nico (Diego Forcén Cabito) |language=es |website=www.infoatleti.es |access-date=20 March 2025 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.cuadernosdefutbol.com/2019/03/las-otras-victimas-de-la-guerra-civil-2/ |title=Las otras víctimas de la Guerra Civil (2) |trans-title=The other victims of the Civil War (2) |language=es |website=www.cuadernosdefutbol.com |publisher=CIHEFE |date=14 February 2019 |access-date=20 March 2025 }} His career was then interrupted by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, where he fought for the republican faction, being later forced to work in labor camps.{{cite web |url=https://palabrasdefutbol.com/2022/09/13/futbolistas-carcel/ |title=Futbolistas que han pasado por la cárcel |trans-title=Footballers who have been in prison |language=es |website=palabrasdefutbol.com |date=13 September 2022 |access-date=20 March 2025 }} After the War ended in 1939, Nico returned to Atlético, which had now merged with Aviación Nacional to form Atlético Aviación, who loaned him out to its subsidiary, Imperio CF, where he played one season under coach José Quirante, featuring alongside Ramón Colón, Francisco Campos, and Cuestita, but they were not able to avoid relegation to the Tercera División.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/t/t1939-40432.html |title=Squad of Imperio de Madrid 1939-40 Generalísimo Cup |website=www.bdfutbol.com |access-date=20 March 2025 }}

Nico was then loaned to Salamanca for two consecutive seasons between 1940 and 1942, but during a small gap between those seasons, in June 1941, he started for Aviación in both legs of the final of the 1941 Copa Presidente Federación Castellana, which ended in a 3–1 victory on aggregate.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/span-centrchamp.html#41c |title=1940-41 (Campeonato Regional del Centro) |publisher=RSSSF |date=7 June 2018 |access-date=20 March 2025 }} Nico finally established himself in Atlético's first team in the 1942–43 season, in which he played 12 league matches, but he once again lost prominence and, the following season, only played one league match.{{cite web |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/nico/ |title=Nico |website=www.worldfootball.net |access-date=20 March 2025 }} He played his last football at Gimnástica de Torrelavega in the 1944–45 season.

Managerial career

After retiring, Nico briefly coached Recreativo de Huelva in the 1949–50 season.{{Cite web |url=https://www.manquepierda.com/historiarealbetis/1950-enero-01-3ad5ogrupo-recreativo-huelva-4-vs-real-betis-balompie-1/ |title=1950-Enero 01: Recreativo Huelva-4 vs Real Betis Balompié-1 |trans-title=1950-January 01: Recreativo Huelva-4 vs Real Betis Balompié-1 |language=es |website=www.manquepierda.com |date=1 January 2013 |access-date=20 March 2025 }}