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Santi Cazorla at 40: The Miracle Man Who Led Real Oviedo Back to La Liga
In a world where modern football often gets overshadowed by commercialism, astronomical salaries, and fleeting loyalty, the story of Santi Cazorla and Real Oviedo stands out like a breath of pure, unfiltered nostalgia. At 40, playing on minimum wage and with a body that has been through 11 surgeries just to walk—let alone run—Santi Cazorla has scripted a tale of undying passion and resilience. He hasn’t just returned to football. He has returned to where it all began—Real Oviedo—and has now led his boyhood club back to La Liga after a 24-year absence.
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A Romantic Night in Oviedo
On a summer night packed with tension and hope, Real Oviedo achieved the impossible. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg of the La Liga promotion playoff final against Mirandés, Oviedo stormed back in the return leg with a 3-1 victory after extra time. In front of a roaring home crowd at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere, one man stood out—not because he was the fastest or strongest, but because he defied every odd imaginable.
Santi Cazorla, donning the No. 8 shirt and the captain’s armband, curled in a beautiful goal to help seal the comeback. It was a goal that meant more than just qualification—it was the culmination of years of physical pain, emotional endurance, and an unshakeable love for his hometown club.
A Career Resurrected
To fully grasp the magnitude of Cazorla’s journey, one needs to rewind to October 2016. Then an Arsenal star and a Spanish international, Cazorla suffered a devastating Achilles tendon injury. What followed was a medical nightmare. In the next two years, he underwent 11 surgeries. One botched procedure led to gangrene, and doctors warned him he might never walk again, let alone play football. He was told he would be lucky to walk in the garden with his son.
He missed 636 days of competitive football. For most, that would have been the end. But Cazorla is not most.
He defied expectations and returned to top-flight football with Villarreal in 2018. Not only did he play—he thrived. He earned a recall to the Spanish national team in 2019 and showed flashes of the magician that once dazzled Arsenal fans in the Premier League.
A Humble Return to Where It Began
In 2023, after stints at Villarreal and Al-Sadd in Qatar, Cazorla made the decision to return home—to the club that had nurtured him as a youth player but which he had to leave in 2003 due to financial instability. Real Oviedo had spent the better part of two decades bouncing between Spain’s second and third divisions, fighting for survival both on and off the pitch.
Cazorla didn’t return to glory. He returned for love.
Incredibly, he agreed to play on the minimum wage permitted under La Liga regulations—€90,000 per year—turning down much larger offers from other clubs. “Thankfully, I’ve had a successful career,” Cazorla told The Athletic. “So the last thing I wanted was to be a weight on my club. I’m delighted with these conditions — I’d play for free, but the regulations must be respected.”
His humility matched only his dedication. At an age when most footballers hang up their boots, Cazorla was training every day, mentoring younger players, and occasionally sprinkling his class on the pitch with magical touches and vision that time never managed to dull.
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A Story of Loyalty and Legacy
Cazorla’s relationship with Oviedo is more than professional. It’s personal. When the club was drowning in debt in 2012 and facing possible extinction, it launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise €2 million. Among the first to contribute were Oviedo youth academy graduates—Santi Cazorla and Juan Mata. They didn’t do it for recognition. They did it because Oviedo was part of their identity.
Now, over a decade later, Cazorla has paid back his boyhood club in the most beautiful way possible: not just by helping them stay afloat, but by leading them back to the promised land of La Liga.
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Against All Odds
At 40, most professional athletes are well into retirement. But for Cazorla, football is not just a profession—it’s life. To lace up his boots again for Oviedo, he had to overcome more physical adversity than most could imagine. After so many surgeries, his right ankle still bears scars from skin grafts taken from his arm. And yet, he keeps going—not for fame or money, but for the sheer love of the game and his hometown.
He even scored a stunning free-kick with his weaker foot in the semi-final against Almería on June 11, proving that class is indeed permanent.
After the final whistle blew against Mirandés, Cazorla stood in front of the Oviedo faithful, arms spread wide, a look of disbelief and joy on his face. The stadium erupted—not just for the promotion, but for the man who symbolized everything good and pure about the sport.
“Nothing Compares to This”
Cazorla, who has won two UEFA European Championships with Spain, lifted FA Cups with Arsenal, and played in Champions League nights, still calls this moment—promotion with Real Oviedo—the “greatest thing” he’s experienced.
“At 40 years old, I think this is the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced,” he said in a post-match interview. “I’ve been lucky enough to experience great things with Spain and with the clubs that I’ve been with, winning many trophies, but nothing compares to this.”
His words weren’t just a reflection of the match but of a journey that few would have dared to make—a journey of coming full circle, of loyalty, of sacrifice.
What Lies Ahead?
With promotion secured, questions will naturally arise: Will Cazorla play in La Liga next season at 41? Will his body allow him to endure another year at the highest level of Spanish football? Knowing Cazorla, those decisions won’t be driven by ego or ambition, but by whether he can still contribute meaningfully.
Regardless of what comes next, his job is done.
He brought Real Oviedo back.
He reminded football fans of what the sport truly means.
And most importantly, he showed that sometimes, in the most cynical corners of professional sports, fairy tales do come true.
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