*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:21, 22 March 2024 (UTC)
Nicolás Ladislao Fedor Flores (born 19 August 1985), commonly known as Miku, is a Venezuelan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Academia Puerto Cabello.
He spent most of his career in Spain, having played for a host of clubs and starting with Valencia. In La Liga, he also represented Getafe and Rayo Vallecano, and won a Scottish double while on loan at Celtic in 2013.
Having arrived in Valencia CF's youth system in 2001, Miku turned professional three years later, going on to serve five consecutive loans afterwards in both the second and third divisions.[5][6]
However, clearly deemed surplus to requirements at Valencia – only third or fourth-choice striker – Miku was sold in January 2010 to Getafe CF, signing a 4+1⁄2-year deal. He scored on his debut, a 2–1 away victory over RCD Mallorca in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, as a second-half substitute.[8]
Benefitting from the absence of first-choice Roberto Soldado due to injury, Miku began appearing regularly as a starter. On 28 March 2010 he netted twice in a 3–1 win at Deportivo de La Coruña,[9] adding another brace three rounds later, in a 3–0 home defeat of Villarreal CF also in La Liga.[10]
Miku started the 2011–12 season as first choice, over veteran Dani Güiza and Adrián Colunga. He scored three goals in his first two league games, against Levante UD (1–1 home draw)[11] and Real Madrid (4–2 away loss),[12] and ended the campaign with 12 goals, best in the squad.
Miku returned to Spain on 2 February 2015, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with Rayo Vallecano.[18] On 12 February 2016, after contributing to a 2–2 away draw against Sporting de Gijón, he became the first Venezuelan to score in four consecutive Spanish top flight matchdays;[19] he was named February's La Liga Player of the Month for this feat.[20]
On 20 August 2019, Cypriot First Division club AC Omonia announced the signing of Miku for one year.[27] He returned to Spain on 25 September 2020, after agreeing to a contract with Deportivo La Coruña, recently relegated to the third tier.[28]
In 2021–22, Miku scored 12 goals for Dépor in the new Primera Federación, while they missed out on promotion after a 2–1 home loss to Albacete Balompié in the playoff final.[29] Having not been offered a new contract, he subsequently joined Real Murcia CF in the same league.[30] On 3 February 2023, he switched again to CF Intercity, where within two minutes of his debut against Real Unión he was taken off with facial injuries.[31]
On 9 September 2009, Miku netted twice in a 3–1 home win over Peru; this brought Venezuela closer to its first-ever FIFA World Cup qualification,[36] which eventually did not happen. He represented the nation at the 2011 Copa América, scoring in a 3–3 draw against Paraguay, helping his team to second place in the group stage[37] and an eventual fourth-place finish.
Four years later, in the next edition of the competition in Chile, Miku scored an 84th-minute goal in a 2–1 defeat to Brazil; a win would have sent his country through, but instead they were eliminated in last place in their group.[38] Later that year, he was among 15 national players who threatened to quit the team after the president of the Venezuelan Football Federation accused them of conspiring to get the manager sacked.[39][40]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played on 14 July 2021
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
^Trochoni, Nadia (21 October 2009). ""Nunca paro de correr"" ["I never stop running"]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
^Campos, Tomás (20 January 2010). "El Getafe asalta el Ono Estadi" [Getafe take over Ono Estadi]. Marca (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
^"Miku ficha por el Rayo" [Miku signs with Rayo]. Marca (in Spanish). 2 February 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
^"Στην ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ ο Miku!" [Miku to OMONIA!] (in Greek). AC Omonia. 20 August 2019. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
^"Miku, nuevo jugador del Dépor 20·21" [Miku, new player of Dépor 20–21] (in Spanish). Deportivo La Coruña. 25 September 2020. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
^"Con la sangre nueva" [With the new blood] (in Spanish). ESPN. 17 August 2006. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
