Madrid - Sevilla veteran Javi Navarro announced on Tuesday his decision to retire from professional football, after two injury-plagued years.

Navarro, 35, has been unable to recover from various serious injuries to his right knee.

He was the Sevilla captain when Jaunde Ramos' team won the UEFA Cup in 2006 and 2007, and the King's Cup in 2007.

Navarro, a renowned hardman, started his career at Valencia, was on loan briefly at Logrones, joined Elche in 2000 and Sevilla in 2001.

He played just once for Spain, at the age of 32, in a friendly against Romania in 2006.(dpa)