Javi Navarro
Personal information
Full name Francisco Javier Vicente Navarro[1]
Date of birth (1974-02-06) 6 February 1974 (age 50)[1]
Place of birth Valencia, Spain[1]
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–2000 Valencia B 53 (0)
1994–2001 Valencia 41 (0)
1994–1995 → Logroñés (loan) 15 (0)
2000–2001 → Elche (loan) 34 (0)
2001–2009 Sevilla 168 (3)
Total 311 (3)
International career
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)
Managerial career
2010–2012 Sevilla (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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

During his career, the central defender[2] represented mainly Valencia and Sevilla, achieving great success with the latter club – 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.

Navarro played four times for Spain, making his debut in 2006.

Club career

Valencia

Navarro was born in Valencia. A product of hometown club Valencia CF's youth system, he made his first-team debut during the 1993–94 season – four La Liga appearances – and, after a loan stint with CD Logroñés also in the top flight, returned for 1995–96, playing 19 matches as the side finished runners-up.

Navarro suffered a serious knee injury in late 1996, being out of action almost three years[3][4] and then loaned to neighbours Elche CF for 2000–01 upon his recovery.[5]

Sevilla

After that single campaign in the Segunda División, in July 2001 Navarro signed for Sevilla FC, where he proceeded to form a formidable centre-back partnership with Pablo Alfaro the next five years.[6][7] He scored his first goal in the top flight on 15 June 2003, but in a 3–2 away loss against Málaga CF.[8] On 20 March 2005, he brutally impacted with his elbow on RCD Mallorca's Juan Arango, leaving the Venezuelan unconscious on the pitch.[9][10]

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 Copa del Rey), Navarro spent two years on the sidelines with another severe knee injury.[11][12] He eventually retired from the game at the end of the 2008–09 season, aged 35.[13]

Navarro returned to Sevilla in late June 2010, being named manager Antonio Álvarez's assistant.[14]

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 Ferenc Puskás (34) and Vicente Engonga (32 and 11 months).[15][16]

Previously, he appeared with the nation at the 1996 Summer Olympics, reaching the quarter-finals.[17][18]

Honours

Sevilla

Spain U21

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Francisco JAVIer Vicente NAVARRO". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  2. ^ Turner, Lucy (8 May 2006). "Navarro offers no quarter". UEFA. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Javi Navarro: 'Antes mi trabajo era parecido y no iba a la selección'" [Javi Navarro: 'I worked in a similar fashion before and I did not go to the national team']. El Mundo (in Spanish). 10 November 2006. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  4. ^ Laguía, D. (14 November 2006). "El día más feliz de Javi Navarro" [Javi Navarro's happiest day]. Levante-EMV (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  5. ^ Romero, J.C. (15 July 2000). "Llegan J. Navarro, Serban y Arregui" [J. Navarro, Serban and Arregui arrive]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "El Sevilla se despide de la Copa de la UEFA tras perder en Málaga" [Sevilla say goodbye to UEFA Cup after losing in Málaga]. Diario Córdoba (in Spanish). 16 June 2003. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  9. ^ Jiménez, Jordi (21 March 2005). "Un codazo de Javi Navarro mandó a Arango a la UCI" [An elbow by Javi Navarro sent Arango to ICU]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Navarro assault on Arango". YouTube. Retrieved 17 October 2006.
  11. ^ "Knee blow leaves Navarro low". UEFA. 26 July 2007. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  12. ^ "Javi Navarro on road to recovery". UEFA. 14 December 2007. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  13. ^ "Javi Navarro se retira del fútbol" [Javi Navarro retires from football]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 19 May 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  14. ^ Rodríguez, Alejandro (21 June 2010). "Javi Navarro vuelve al Sevilla como ayudante de Antonio Álvarez" [Javi Navarro returns to Sevilla as Antonio Álvarez's assistant]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  15. ^ Jurado, José Carlos (15 November 2006). "Marica da otro varapalo a la España de Luis" [Marica strikes another blow to Luis' Spain]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  16. ^ Garde, Luis (15 November 2006). "Navarro, el tercer debutante más "viejo"" [Navarro, third "oldest" debutant]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  17. ^ Cubero, Cristina (23 July 1996). "Óscar, otra vez vital" [Óscar, crucial again]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Décimos Juegos Olímpicos del fútbol español" [Tenth Olympic Games of Spanish football]. Marca (in Spanish). 22 June 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  19. ^ a b c Pérez Sierra, Alberto (14 March 2017). "¿Qué fue de Javi Navarro?" [What happened to Javi Navarro?]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  20. ^ "Italia ya ganó un Europeo a España en el 1996" [Italy have already won European Championships against Spain in 1996] (in Spanish). Orgullo Bianconero. 18 June 2013. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.

External links

Spain men's football squad – 1996 Summer Olympics
UEFA Cup and Europa League winning captains
UEFA Super Cup winning captains
Categories