Milan achieved a difficult victory over Verona

This week one of the most glorious pages in the history of Spanish football will be turned.

According to “The Athletic” network, Jesus Navas is scheduled to play his 943rd and final match with the first team on Sunday afternoon. Sevilla travels to the Santiago Bernabeu to face Real Madrid in the Spanish League.

During his nearly 22 years as a senior player, Navas won 8 titles with Sevilla (including 4 UEFA Cups), 3 titles with Manchester City (including the 2013-14 Premier League title), and 4 international titles with Spain ( Including the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2024).

Over the years, the speedy winger who came through Sevilla’s youth team has developed into a reliable and experienced full-back with a long playing career, while dealing with a painful and chronic thigh injury in recent seasons.

“I’ve been trying to enjoy the remaining time with the fans, which is the most beautiful thing,” Navas, who turned 39 in November, says at Sevilla’s training ground. The pain comes when I train hard or play an intense match. In this case it is difficult to even play with my children (in the following days). So I try to rest.”

There are no more difficult matches than Sunday’s match away from home against Real Madrid, the European champion.

“In the end, this is the Sevilla I love,” he says. “I helped as much as I could.”

Navas was born outside the Andalusian capital in Los Palacios and Villafranca, and joined Seville’s youth academy at the age of 15. After making his debut for the first team three years later, he quickly became a regular player, as Sevilla began to assemble the greatest team in their history.

Superstars Frederic Kanoute, current Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, Luis Fabiano and Julian Escudi were joined by homegrown youngsters including Navas, José Antonio Reyes and Antonio Puerta, as the team won two UEFA Cups, two Copa del Reys, a European Super Cup and a Spanish Super Cup between 2006 and 2010.

Navas, a reserved person and a cautious speaker, lights up when he recalls Puerta’s late winner against Schalke in the second leg of the 2005-06 UEFA Cup semi-final. Just over a year later, Puerta collapsed and died during a pre-season match in August. ) 2007.

“It was amazing,” Navas says. “That goal opened the doors to everything we achieved, and I provided him with the assist.” He was my roommate. It was a source of immense joy. “Puerta is now remembered by everyone who lives in Seville.”

Navas’ performances as a quick, direct winger earned him a call-up to the Spanish national team in 2009, and in the World Cup final the following year, it was his blistering run in extra time that led to Andres Iniesta’s winning goal.

Navas says: “Any child’s dream is to win the World Cup with his country.” To be on the field and play a role in helping the team. When the final whistle blew, it was a source of great joy. “I watch the video (on my phone) every few days, and I still get goosebumps.”

Navas also played an influential role in Spain’s victory in the 2012 European Championship as part of a team that included Iniesta, Xavi, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso. This golden generation is widely viewed as the best in Spanish football history.

“I feel like I am part of this generation,” Navas says. We won everything, but it wasn’t just about the results. We played great, beautiful football, and we had possession of the ball throughout the game. “So it was great.”

Navas’ performances for club and country caught the attention of big clubs in Europe, and in the summer of 2013, he moved to Manchester City for €20 million.

His Manchester City career got off to a stunning start, including a stunning first-minute goal in a 6-0 win over Tottenham. The first year in Manuel Pellegrini’s team ended with a Premier League medal, 6 goals and 13 assists in all competitions.

“In the first season, I played every match, and we won trophies: the Premier League and the League Cup,” Navas says.

It has often been said that the quiet personality tied to his home and family in Andalusia struggled to settle in England, but Navas does not accept that idea; His whole life has always revolved around football, wherever he lives.

He added: “It was a good experience (in Manchester), both on the field and on a personal level. 183 games in 4 seasons is a lot. My way of life is to be quiet and close to my family. So my life there wasn’t much different than here. “I went home and focused only on football, as always.”

Navas says anxiety was actually a more difficult problem when he started playing for Sevilla’s first team as a teenager.

“It’s hard when you’re starting out,” he says. I come from a small town, where it’s very quiet, and I was training with the youth team, and jumping to the adult team, it’s not easy. But in the end, football is everything to me. “I got over that, and things went well.”

Over time, Navas was often a substitute for Manchester City, especially after the arrival of Pep Guardiola as coach in the summer of 2016, when he began to participate in matches, often in the right-back position.

“The truth is that I had a very good relationship with Pep,” Navas says. (Right-back Pablo) Zabaleta and (Bacary) Sagna were injured and he told me I could play there. Even though it was a new center, everything went well.”

While in Manchester, Navas watched Sevilla lift 3 more Europa League titles on television. Since returning to Sanchez Pizjuan when his contract with City expired in 2017, he has led them to two more titles – with assists from the right-back in both the 2020 final against Inter and the 2023 final against Roma.

“This competition has made this club grow a lot and given a lot of joy to the fans,” says Navas. So every time we play, we go all in. Despite having such a difficult season in 2023 (in other competitions), we turned around (in the Europa League). The fans carried us too. “It was amazing, unbelievable.”

After a few years of absence, current Spain coach Luis de la Fuente called up Navas to the international squad in 2023. He played both matches at right-back during the UEFA Nations League final win that year, and was an important member of the squad, as Spain won the 2024 European Championship. Last summer.

“For me, the most important thing of all is defending my country,” Navas says. Winning the European Nations League, then the European Championship at my age, in fact, this was amazing.”

The right side of Spain’s side against France last July featured the oldest and youngest players ever to start a European Championship semi-final: Navas at 38 years and 231 days, and Lamine Yamal at 16 years and 362 days.

France star striker Kylian Mbappe beat Navas to set up the opening goal of the match, and the veteran was quickly shown a yellow card for a desperate attempt to prevent Mbappe from scoring.

“I felt calm and relaxed,” Navas says when asked about that moment. I knew I had to keep going. I wasn’t thinking much about (Mbappe). I’m always thinking about attacking. When we had the ball, I would open up the field, almost like a winger. One of our goals came from that.”

Navas points to his cross from the right that led directly to the winning goal for Spain by Dani Olmo. Before that, Yamal leveled the scores with a stunning volley from 25 yards into the top corner.

“(Lamine) has talent,” Navas says. He was born to play football. We wings have this way of playing: to be brave, to play with joy; Nico (Williams) too. I told Lamin that it’s really important that every time he gets the ball, he tries to get past the defender. “This is a huge strength for the team.”

Navas retired from international football after the tournament and was honored by the Spanish Federation in the UEFA Nations League match in October against Serbia, in the presence of his parents Francisco and Aurora, his wife Alejandra, and his two children Jesus and Romeo as well.

“I haven’t changed as a person, I’m still the same man I always was,” Navas says. Keeping my feet on the ground is what has gotten me this far. Knowing that you have to work hard every day and train to the maximum. “This is what brought me to where I am now, to win very important things, with the national team, with Sevilla, and with Manchester City.”

Navas’ experience has been invaluable for Sevilla in recent years, when financial issues and boardroom squabbles took their toll on a team that instead of fighting for silverware was often battling in the bottom half of La Liga.

There was an awkward moment last June, when Sevilla announced Navas was leaving, even though he wanted to continue. Another 6-month contract was agreed with current president José María del Nido Carrasco, with all his wages paid directly to the club’s charitable foundation.

“The important thing for all of us was to be on the same wavelength,” Navas says, without wanting to go into details. For me, the biggest thing was to continue with Sevilla, to be here, to move with the younger players. “I would like to be able to say goodbye to the fans I love.”

Coach Frank Garcia Pimienta has been managing Navas’ minutes this season. He needs regular injections to treat a hip problem that he has been suffering from for 4 years. Unable to participate in much of the team’s physical work in training, he often has to lie down most days after a match.

“I know a little bit about how to deal with it in training,” Navas says. Matches are more difficult. But this is my situation. It’s difficult, with mixed feelings. After every match, I try to focus on training again, so I can play one more match. I also enjoy training, and I feel nervous. “As the end approached, it became more difficult.”

The pain and stress were worth it, because he was able to share moments in recent months with his teammates and Sevilla fans, including the winning goal against Getafe in September, and the October “derby” victory over city rival Real Betis.

Navas added: “The feeling is joy and reward for all the pain I endured. Before the derby, my teammates had been saying all week that they would win the game for me. The fans were very happy for me, and I was very happy for them. They know that I was always ready to help the team, despite all the pain, and everything I had to do every day.”

Navas’ last start for Sanchez Pizjuan was in last week’s 1-0 La Liga win over Celta Vigo, when he received a pass of honor from both teams before the match and received an emotional applause from the fans when he was substituted in the 71st minute.

Sevilla will organize an official farewell party on December 30 for Navas and his family. Del Nido Carrasco has offered him a “lifetime contract” but a specific role has not yet been discussed. One future possibility is to coach youth teams playing in the Spanish League. At the training ground that bears his name.

Regarding his next step, Navas says: “I really don’t know (what will happen next). I haven’t thought about it yet, maybe it has to do with the youth system. “I was just enjoying the matches I could play and thank the fans for their support.”