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Mateo Nicolau

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Mateo Nicolau
Nicolau and Ángel Zubieta in San Lorenzo
Personal information
Full name Mateo Nicolau Garí
Date of birth (1920-08-18)18 August 1920
Place of birth General Pico, La Pampa Province, Argentina
Date of death 29 October 2005(2005-10-29) (aged 85)
Place of death León, Guanajuato, Mexico
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1935–1937 Central Silverino
1937–1940 Atlético Tucumán
1940–1943 San Lorenzo
1943–1945 Club América
1945–1948 Atlante
1948–1952 Barcelona 63 (16)
1952–1955 Zacatepec
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mateo Nicolau Garí (18 August 1920 – 29 October 2005) was an Argentinian footballer who played as a forward for San Lorenzo in Argentina, Club América in Mexico, and most notably for Barcelona in Catalonia from 1948 to 1952.[1][2][3][4]

Biography

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Born in the Argentine city of General Pico in La Pampa Province, on 18 August 1920,[1][3] Nicolau began his football career in his hometown club Central Silverino in 1935, aged only 15, and then played for a further two Argentinian clubs, Atlético Tucumán (1937–1940) and then three seasons at San Lorenzo, from 1940 to 1943, scoring 9 goals in 48 matches.[5] He then moved to Mexico, where he played two seasons for Club América (1943–45) and three seasons with Atlante (1945–48),[1] winning the 1946–47 Mexican league title with the latter.[6]

In 1948, the 28-year-old Nicolau was signed by FC Barcelona, where he played for four seasons, until 1952.[1][2][3] Together with the likes of Mariano Gonzalvo, László Kubala, and César, he was a member of the great Barça team of the early 1950s that won two La Liga titles (1948–49 and 1951–52), two Latin Cup titles in 1949 and 1952, two Copa Eva Duarte titles in 1948 and 1952, and back-to-back Copa del Rey titles in 1951 and 1952,[1][2] starting in the former final, in which he helped his side to a 3–0 win over Real Sociedad.[7] He also started in the 1948 Eva Duarte final, helping his side to a 1–0 win over Sevilla, and in the following year, on 12 October 1949, he again started the final, and this time he even scored, but Barça still lost 7–4 in extra-time to Valencia.[8] On 24 September 1950, Nicolau scored a brace in Barça's largest ever win over Real Madrid (7–2).[9][10] In total, he scored 24 goals in 75 official goals,[1] including 16 goals in 63 La Liga matches.[3]

Punished by injuries, Nicolau returned to Mexican football,[2] where he won the 1946–47 Mexican league title with Zacatepec.

Nicolau died in León, Guanajuato on 29 October 2005, at the age of 85.[1][2]

See also

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List of foreign Liga MX players

Honours

[edit]
Atlante
FC Barcelona
Zacatepec

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Mateo Nicolau Garí stats". players.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Mateo Nicolau Garí". www.enciclopedia.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Mateo Nicolau". www.worldfootball.net. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Nicolau, Mateo Nicolau Garí - Footballer". www.bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Nicolau". www.museodesanlorenzo.com.ar (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  6. ^ "Nicolau, fiabilidad en la band". sport.es (in Catalan). Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  7. ^ "Spain - Cup 1951". RSSSF. 10 August 2001. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Spain - List of Super Cup Finals - 1948 Copa Eva Duarte". RSSSF. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Las mayores goleadas del Barcelona al Real Madrid en el Clásico" [Barcelona's biggest defeats against Real Madrid in the Clasico]. www.mundodeportivo.com (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  10. ^ "Cuáles han sido las goleadas más grandes del Barcelona al Real Madrid?" [What have been Barcelona's biggest thrashings against Real Madrid?]. www.goal.com (in Spanish). 21 April 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
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