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In a sad day for football, Spanish player Nico Hidalgo passed away at the age of 32 after a lengthy battle with lung cancer, as announced by few of his former clubs including Racing Santander, Granada, Cadiz, and Extremadura, who also paid him a tribute in the process. The Spaniard, who was born in Motril town, began his professional football career in 2010 before playing his final game for Racing Santander during the 2019-20 season.
Notably, after making his senior debut at Mortil in the 2010-11 season, Nico Hidalgo joined Granada B side in the year 2012 before becoming a part of Juventus in the year 2014, but they immediately loaned him back to Granada B. During his tenure at Juventus, which concluded in 2017, he didn’t get a chance to play for their first team, while getting loaned out to Cadiz, with whom his association began permanent thereafter.
Nico Hidalgo retired from football in 2022 after diagnosis of his lung cancer
Cadiz loaned Nico Hidalgo to Racing Santander before he joined them on a permanent deal in 2019, where he competed for the last time professionally during the 2019-20 season. Following that, the Spaniard was diagnosed with cancer in the year 2021, and his association with Extremadura, which had begun in 2020, ended in 2022 as he retired from the sport to recover from his illness.
Racing Santandar called the death of Nico Hidalgo an “irreparable loss,” while Granada remarked in their statement, “With Nico's departure, not only is an excellent footballer gone, but also a great person. But the affection of his teammates, coaches, workers, directors and fans will always be present.” Meanwhile, Extramadura stated, “We want to express our deepest condolences to his family and friends. We send you all our love and strength in these difficult times.”
“We will never forget your smile and your joy. Your fight is our inspiration. Rest in peace,” Cadiz wrote on their official X account for Nico Hidalgo.
