His words brim with pride when he talks about the first footballer from Los Palacios and Villafranca who brought titles to the town and was honored for it. Juan Manuel Valle Chacón, mayor of the municipality since 2011has received on many occasions Jesus Navas in it City hall to congratulate you on your many successes. The last one, this past summer, on the occasion of the Euro Cup won by Spain. These tributes will not be repeated for him, after the former Sevilla captain has hung up his boots. However, what will remain will be the affection and pride of all the palaces for having seen one of his neighbors rise to the top of the football Olympus and, also, for the values that he has always displayed, starting with the mayor himself.
– The palace player who started the saga of footballers from the municipality who stand out internationally retires.
– It is a circumstance that does not occur very frequently; I think none, in Spain. That a municipality with nearly 39,000 inhabitants has three players of the level of Jesús Navas, Fabián and Gavi, even having the enormous luck to coincide in the National Team and win a title, such as the League of Nations. Furthermore, a figure like Jesús Navas, with the sporting career he has and the fact that his physical condition has been respected until such a high age… That doesn’t happen in football every day. For us it is a joy to have enjoyed these three footballers. Jesús Navas paved the way in terms of recognition and prestige. He is an unrivaled footballer at Sevilla for everything he has achieved, at the level of titles and for how long his professional career has extended. Also with Spain, since it is the only one that has the three international titles that the National Team can aspire to at the moment. It will be very difficult for football to produce, in a reasonable time, a figure of the stature of Jesús Navas.
– What does Jesús Navas mean for the municipality of Los Palacios and Villafranca?
– Many things. It means that, during all these years, every time this Los Palacios player was mentioned by journalists or the media, it filled us with pride. It was seeing how one of your people was playing at the highest level. Also, apart from the titles and seeing it on television, we must see what Jesus projects and has projected. That image of a good person, of a humble and simple guy. The media has written about it many times. Until a few years ago, it was very common to find him on the street playing with kids. What Jesus represents for football, sports and the population, in general, is the projection of those values. Now, on the occasion of his retirement, the coaches who have had him under their orders highlight it. He is a prudent guy, captain of his team and, however, he has always had values such as humility, dedication and sacrifice. All of us who know Jesus, and see him frequently in the media, are aware that this is not an exaggeration. It is not the love of the people, that too; But for me, as a mayor, a neighbor and a person who knows him, it fills me with pride that that image is associated with an athlete of Jesus’ level.
– Precisely, the nickname by which he is known is in the name of the town: “the Duende of Los Palacios.”
– He has carried the name of the town all over the world. In fact, there is his determining role in the World Cup that Spain won. He has played in the Premier League, with the National Team, in LaLiga, he has achieved a lot of international titles… That all the media refer to him as “the Duende of the Palaces”, has obviously contributed to his town has a place with a lot of name in the world of football. Many media have passed through here during all these years, every time Spain has won a title. Jesus has been there, accompanying the other footballers of our town. It has been a tide. Everyone speaking well of Los Palacios and Villafranca. And speaking of our tomatoes, too. It has been a great projection to publicize the ‘colorao bombón’. We have been asked many times what we give to the footballers in Los Palacios to bring out that top-level generation. It is always associated, with affection, with our tomato. For all this, I believe that the people of Los Palacios and Villafranca will be eternally grateful to Jesus. Furthermore, he will continue to be a legend in the world of football. What he has achieved is written in history and, obviously, associated with his people. He has always worn it with honors.
– In fact, he still lives in Los Palacios. From there he traveled to the Sevilla sports city to train, but he would live his life in the town.
-He is seen here very normally, he is a very simple person. He is a normal citizen. We all know his shy nature, people know it and respect it. He has never felt comfortable in mass baths and with crowds, despite the media personality he is. He is a very reserved person in these aspects and people normally respect him. It is obvious that children, when they see him, say something to him; is that he is a character of very great sporting relevance. We are very used to it in Los Palacios and Villafranca. People are very respectful of that.
– Do you have any anecdotes with him?
-The first time he won a title with Spain, which was when we started giving footballers their weight in tomatoes. Some journalists, in a joking tone, said that we were going to take a player who was six feet tall or who weighed more than necessary (laughs). We were generous. Being with Jesus always gives joy. We had to be very careful about where he entered or left because he is a very beloved uncle in the town. It is inevitable, when we have done any type of recognition, that people from all over the province and even from others arrived. They wanted to enjoy that moment and Jesús has always been a close guy to sign autographs for the kids. Those are very beautiful moments we have lived with him. Surely we will continue to enjoy them for many years with other footballers from here.
– In 2010, Jesús Navas was named ‘favorite son’ of Los Palacios and Villafranca, which is the highest decoration that can be offered. He was recently also named the best sports player of the year 2024, he has a sports complex in the town with his name… What is he missing?
– We are working on some things with Jesús and his other town companions. Right now nothing has been finalized, but work is being done. Jesús has the greatest distinction that our town grants, that of ‘favorite son’, and he also has the ‘Jesús Navas’ pavilion. Even so, work is being done to see how we can immortalize this anomalous circumstance in history, but very beautiful. Our town has to reflect in some way, in some of its corners, that magnificent trio of footballers who have coincided. It is difficult for a situation like this to occur again in Spain.
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