Madrid: Few players mean as much to a club as Jesús Navas does to Sevilla.
The links are so strong that the 34-year-old Navas already has a stadium named after him at the club’s training center in Seville. “Navas is part of Sevilla’s history,” sporting director Ramón “Monchi” Rodríguez said ahead of the Europa League final between Sevilla and Inter Milan in Germany. Navas is set to make his 528th appearance with Sevilla in Friday’s match, and he could become the player with most titles in the history of the Spanish club.
Sevilla will be trying to win a record sixth Europa League title, and it would be the third for Navas in Europe’s second-tier club competition — his first as a captain. It would be his seventh overall title with the club, moving him past a series of former teammates. No one has played more matches or reached more finals with the 130-year-old club, which he joined as a teenager and is in his second stint after spending four seasons with Manchester City in the Premier League.
Navas is also the player with the most assists for Sevilla, with his 102nd on Sunday helping striker Luuk de Jong score the winning goal late in the semifinal match against Manchester United. Navas also had a crucial assist that led the team to its first European final in 2006.
The club decided to honor Navas for his history at the club by naming its main training stadium after him in 2018. President José Castro said at the time that it was an easy choice considering Navas’ numbers and the values he represented. Navas started all of Sevilla’s Europa League games in Germany, where it eliminated Roma in the round of 16 and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the quarterfinals before getting past Manchester United. Navas’ first Europa League titles came in 2006 and 2007. He also helped the club win the Copa del Rey in 2007 and 2010, as well as the 2006 UEFA Super Cup and the 2007 Spanish Super Cup. (AP)
