Arsenal and Spain icon Santi Cazorla has announced that he has retired at the age of 41, playing his final season as a professional footballer. A player who fascinated many fans with his technical talent, he spent his final years as a boy with Real Oviedo in La Liga.
Cazorla made his professional debut at Villarreal after coming through the Oviedo youth system, and had spells at Recreativo and Malaga before moving to Arsenal. After an injury-plagued five years in London, Cazorla returned to action after nearly losing his leg due to a post-surgical infection. He then returned to Villarreal and spent three years with Al Sadd in Qatar before finally returning to Oviedo in 2023.
During his career, he won two FA Cups, two Qatar Cups, one Qatar League Cup and two Euros with Spain. He played in 81 games for La Roja, scoring 15 goals, but missed out on winning the 2010 World Cup due to injury.
Cazorla announces retirement on social media
On Thursday morning, Cazorla announced his retirement on social media in an emotional video with the words:
“We think life is cyclical, but then we realize that some stories never end. Like a figure eight, we just go back to the beginning. My story didn’t start in a great stadium or under bright lights. It started on an ordinary pitch, with a ball and a boy who just wanted to play football. A little bit. Step by step, I forged my own path. I experienced great things…and faced some unexpected difficult moments. But I never stopped trying. And in the end I came back, not to finish things off, but to feel again and remember why I started.”
“Now, as the lights dim, the boots are hung, and the roar fades into silence, everything falls into place. The ending was here at home, right where the magic began. Because some stories don’t just end, they stay with you forever, like the number 8, like infinity.”
Cazorla’s fairytale career has come to an end
Although Cazorla’s final season didn’t go as planned, he was able to end his career on a high note. At the age of 38, he returned to Oviedo to rejoin La Liga after a 24-year hiatus from the First Division. The club was on the verge of extinction twice and spent time in the third division. Last summer, Oviedo made a dramatic return to La Liga in the play-offs, captained by Cazorla, and was able to fulfill his dream of playing in La Liga for Los Calvines, even if it meant relegation.
