Javi Navarro (footballer, born 1974)

Francisco Javier "Javi" Vicente Navarro (born 6 February 1974) is a Spanish retired footballer.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Vicente and the second or maternal family name is Navarro.

Javi Navarro
Personal information
Full name Francisco Javier Vicente Navarro
Date of birth (1974-02-06) 6 February 1974
Place of birth Valencia, Spain
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–2000 Valencia B 53 (0)
1994–2000 Valencia 41 (0)
1994–1995 → Logroñés (loan) 15 (0)
2000–2001 Elche 33 (0)
2001–2009 Sevilla 168 (3)
Total 310 (3)
National team
1990 Spain U16 5 (0)
1990 Spain U17 7 (0)
1990–1991 Spain U18 9 (0)
1993 Spain U20 3 (0)
1996 Spain U21 2 (0)
1996 Spain U23 3 (0)
2006–2007 Spain 4 (0)
Teams managed
2010–2012 Sevilla (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

During his professional career the tough[1] central defender represented mainly Valencia and Sevilla, achieving great team success with the latter – five major titles, including two UEFA Cups.

Over 15 seasons, greatly hindered by injuries, he amassed La Liga totals of 224 matches and three goals.

Club career

A product of hometown Valencia CF's youth system, Valencia-born Navarro made his first-team debuts during the 1993–94 season (four La Liga games) and, after a loan stint with CD Logroñés, also in the top flight, returned for 1995–96, playing in 19 matches as Valencia finished runner-up. He suffered a serious knee injury the following year, being out of action for almost three years[2] and moving to neighbours Elche CF in 2000–01 upon his recovery.

After that single campaign in the second division, Navarro signed in July 2001 with Sevilla FC, where he proceeded to form a dreaded centre-back partnership with Pablo Alfaro for the next five years.[3][4] On 20 March 2005 he brutally impacted with his elbow on RCD Mallorca's Juan Arango, leaving the Venezuelan unconscious on the pitch.[5][6]

After being one of Sevilla's most important players throughout the team's conquests from 2005 to 2007 (two UEFA Cups, one UEFA Super Cup and one Spanish Cup), Navarro was sidelined for two years with another severe knee injury,[7][8] eventually retiring from the game at the end of the 2008–09 season, aged 35.[9]

In late June 2010, Navarro returned to Sevilla, being named manager Antonio Álvarez's assistant.[10]

International career

At the age of 32 years and nine months, Navarro earned his first cap for Spain in a friendly 0–1 loss against Romania on 15 November 2006 in Cádiz, becoming the third-oldest debutant for the national team after former Real Madrid's Ferenc Puskás (34) and Vicente Engonga (32 and 11 months).[11][12]

Previously, he appeared with the nation at the 1996 Summer Olympics, reaching the quarter-finals.

Honours

Club

Sevilla

International

Spain U-21

References
  1. Navarro offers no quarter; UEFA, 8 May 2006
  2. Javi Navarro; at CiberChe (in Spanish)
  3. "La fuerza del orgullo y el coraje" [The strength of pride and courage] (in Spanish). Orgullo de Nervión. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  4. "Javi Navarro y Pablo Alfaro, la pareja defensiva del Sevilla" [Javi Navarro and Pablo Alfaro, Sevilla's defensive duo] (in Spanish). La Liga. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  5. "Un codazo de Javi Navarro mandó a Arango a la UCI" [An elbow by Javi Navarro sent Arango to ICU]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 21 March 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  6. Navarro assault on Arango; at YouTube
  7. Knee blow leaves Navarro low; UEFA, 26 July 2007
  8. Javi Navarro on road to recovery; UEFA, 14 December 2007
  9. "Javi Navarro se retira del fútbol" [Javi Navarro retires from football]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 19 May 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  10. "Javi Navarro vuelve al Sevilla como ayudante de Antonio Álvarez" [Javi Navarro returns to Sevilla as Antonio Álvarez's assistant]. Marca (in Spanish). 21 June 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  11. "Marica da otro varapalo a la España de Luis" [Marica strikes another blow to Luis' Spain]. Marca (in Spanish). 15 November 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  12. "Navarro, el tercer debutante más "viejo"" [Navarro, third "oldest" debutant]. ABC (in Spanish). 15 November 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  13. Italia ya ganó un Europeo a España en el 1996 (Italy have already won European Championships against Spain in 1996) Archived 13 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine; Orgullo Bianconero, 18 June 2013 (in Spanish)
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