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Spanish legend Jesus Navas received a guard of honour as well as a standing ovation as he stepped onto the field to play his last match. Navas hung up his boots after the La Liga clash between Real Madrid and Sevilla. With this, Navas put an end to his two-decade long professional career. During his glorious career, the footballer won the Premier League with Manchester City in 2013-14. He returned to his boyhood club Sevilla in 2017, got back to the Spain national team in 2019, and became La Roja’s oldest ever footballer to play Euro when he featured in the tournament in 2024.
The game saw Navas appearing as a substitute for his club on Sunday, and it proved to be his 705th and last for the club. In the game, Sevilla were handed a 2-4 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid, after Kylian Mbappe scored the opening goal. After his grand farewell, the 39-year-old took to social media and expressed his gratitude for the same. He wrote, “What I experienced this afternoon at the Bernabéu was a blessed madness. I can’t remember ever seeing anything like it in a rival’s stadium. That’s why I feel the need to thank Real Madrid fans for their dedication & their recognition of me in a memory that will be unforgettable.”
Jesus Navas breaks down in tears after retiring mid-season
Former Manchester City star Jesus Navas couldn’t hold back his tears, after chronic pain forced him to hang up his boots after six months of playing Euro 2024. As an emotional Navas acknowledged his fans and said, "There have been many moments, many emotions and today was one more. The affection from everyone has been impressive. I have achieved many things and many titles in my career, but with everything I enjoyed with my people and as a Sevilla player, saying goodbye here was like closing the circle.”
He added, "I would define my career with dedication and sacrifice. There have been difficult moments but I think I have always been there for my Sevilla and for the national team. I am very calm about all the work I have done and for me these months have been like a gift. Today the match was difficult but the team continued, it had chances and I think that is the attitude.”
