Although I had planned to write a blog that was supposed to focus on Arsenal's performance in the transfer market so far, I have rethought my plans in the last few days. Why? The reason is simple, the fantastic story of the Spanish second league barrage, which was eventually dominated by Real Oviedo. Still doesn't make sense to you? It will now. The Asturian club's progress was orchestrated by former Arsenal player Santi Cazorla. Little Magician, as the Spanish footballer was nicknamed by fans in north London, led the club where he practically started his football career to LaLiga at the age of 40. But the story of the diminutive Spaniard is much more interesting than that, so sit back and get reading.
Santi Cazorla's career
Santi Cazorla made his first steps in the whole Club Deportivo Covadongafrom where he subsequently moved to Real Oviedowho played a major role in his story. Well, one of the main roles, but I'll get to that. The Spanish midfielder spent a good part of his youth career at Oviedo, specifically at the club until he was 17. His next footballing steps led to Villarrealwhere he spent a significant part of his adult career. During his tenure, he "bounced" to the team for a year Recreativo Huelva, but after one year he moved back to Villarrealwhere he worked for four more seasons. This was followed by a transfer to the Spanish Málaga, where at that time the multiple Spanish representative lasted only a year. That was the end of his tour of Spanish clubs.
At least for a few years. From Málaga, Cazorla moved outside Spain for the first time in his career, signing for English Arsenal. I dare say that Santi Cazorla had the best part of his career from a footballing point of view in north London. Almost immediately, he became an indispensable member of then manager Arsene Wenger's squad and entertained not only Arsenal fans with his football. Thanks to his footballing ability and ever-smiling nature, it didn't take long for Cazorla to win over perhaps all Canaries supporters. Unfortunately, after three and a half years in north London, Cazorla suffered a fatal Achilles tendon injury in his right leg that nearly cost him the rest of his career. We'll take a closer look at the injury itself and Santi's journey back to the green turf in the next chapter.
After a partially enforced end at Arsenal and a long break from football, Cazorla returned to Villarrealwhere he spent two years. At the age of 35, he moved on to the Qatari team Al-Saddwhere he managed to play three more seasons. After his return from Qatar, Santi Cazorla signed for the club that had nurtured him in football. Cazorla is wearing the colours of Real Oviedo since 2023, the year when another beautiful football story slowly began to be written.
Health problems and career restart
As I've mentioned before, Cazorla's time at Arsenal Achilles tendon injurythat required an incredible 11 operations, 8 of which were carried out directly at the incriminated site. The remaining procedures were related to the ankle, infections and other associated complications arising from surgery on the injured Achilles. The two-time European champion at one point, after recurring problems, even even threatened to amputate the foot. Fortunately, this did not happen, but the reports from the doctors were still not positive at all during the treatment. According to most prognoses, the problems with the Achilles tendon should have ended the Spanish footballer's career for good. Some doctors even considered the desired goal of recovery to be that Cazorla would at least be able to walk normally.
However, the case of the Spanish handsome man confirmed the old adage: Where there's a will, there's a way. His hiatus from football lasted almost two years, which was exactly 636 days. Yet he managed to return to the field at the age of almost thirty-four. And at the highest level, in the Spanish LaLiga. For his determination and will to return to football alone, Cazorla deserves great admiration. Nearly seven years have passed since his great comeback, and yet Cazorla is still running around the pitch. Even that story alone is really worth telling.
Return to the scene of the crime and the dream sequence
However, the incredible story of Santi Cazorla's return from a serious injury is far from over. After leaving Qatar's Al-Sadd at the age of thirty-eight, few would have expected Santi Cazorla to end his prolific football career at his age and after the serious injury he suffered. But the opposite was true. Thank goodness. Cazorla's love for football and for his "parent" club gave the crown to his wonderful football tale. In his advanced football age, he returned to where it all started for him, Real Oviedo, where he signed a contract for the lowest amount allowed by the association (about €90,000 per year). At the same time, he gave up all marketing rights and agreed with the club that 10 % from the sale of his jerseys would go directly into the club's youth academy coffers. He later let it be known that he would prefer to play for the club for free if he could.
In his first season back at Real Oviedo, Cazorla and his team reached the play-off final. However, it was not enough to qualify for LaLiga. Oviedo lost to Espanyol 1-2 in the final match. But what didn't work last season has worked in this one, or rather in the 2024/2025 season. the promotion of his team to the Spanish elite. He scored in both the semifinals and the playoff finals. It is worth mentioning that he scored the semi-final goal from a direct free kick with his "weaker" left foot. In the final, he handled a penalty kick with his right foot, which he played into the middle of the goal.
After all the hardships he had to go through in his career, he managed to lead the club he grew up playing football in as captain, back to Spain's top competition. A football fairy tale with a happy ending.
A future at Arsenal?
Where will Santi Cazorla's steps go next? It's hard to say whether he'll decide to play at least one more season in LaLiga or whether he'll hang up his cleats. Should he opt for option number two, Arsenal fans already have a clear idea of what's next. There is already speculation that Santi Cazorla could complete the coaching staff of his compatriot and friend Mikel Arteta's. The speculation about Cazorla's return to north London gained even more intensity when Carlos Cuesta left Arsenal's coaching staff to become the new manager of Italian side Parma.
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Editor, administrator and editor of the True Gunner Diary website, but above all a devoted Arsenal fan. I started with sports articles at the Tipsport bookmaker, where I have published more than 100 blogs. If you want to know more about me, check out the section of the same name here on the site.