At 40, Santi Cazorla brings his beloved club back to La Liga
Santi Cazorla was instrumental in Oviedo's promotion to La Liga. The local boy would have even played for his beloved club for free. The rules didn't allow him to do so.
There are some victories that deserve more intense celebration than others. Oviedo's victory must have made quite a splash this weekend in Asturias. Led by former Arsenal player Santi Cazorla, Real Madrid clinched their La Liga ticket in extra time of the second leg of the promotion play-off against Mirandes (3-1). They had been absent from the Spanish football elite for 24 years.
An eternity for its supporters who since 2001 have seen it play in the second, third and even fourth division.
So it's a great story for an entire club, but it's an extraordinary one for 40-year-old veteran Santi Cazorla. He was a world champion with Spain in 2010, a two-time European champion, and played for the Gunners from 2011 to 2018.
In this decisive match, the Spanish international scored the 1-1 from a penalty in the 39th minute. He had already scored in the semi-final.
Santi Cazorla's story proves that fairy tales still exist in modern football. Born in Llanera, a small town in Asturias, he trained in Oviedo. He has never forgotten his beloved club. At 38, in 2023, after a spell in Qatar, the midfielder has decided not to hang up his boots.
He set himself one final goal: to bring Real Oviedo back to the first division. Mission accomplished two years later.
For his return to his roots, he even offered to play for free. But league regulations require a minimum annual salary of €93,000. He had to accept, while also ceding his image rights to the club. Cazorla did, however, request that 10% of the proceeds from his jersey sales be invested directly in Real Oviedo's youth academy.
But before this happy ending, there was a stint in the hospital. A very serious Achilles tendon injury, which occurred in October 2016 during a Champions League match against Ludogorets, almost cost him his leg.
Santi Cazorla was sidelined for 636 days, underwent eight operations, and suffered a severe infection that "ate away" eight centimeters of his Achilles tendon. For a time, doctors even discussed a possible amputation.
In 2018, the Spaniard made an unexpected comeback with the Villarreal team.
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