Cazorla's poignant farewell.
Santi Cazorla hangs up boots, concluding two-decade career at boyhood club Oviedo.
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Key Points
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Cazorla voiced a reflective farewell, saying: 'Now that everything is ending, when the boots are being hung up, and the noise is turning into silence, everything fits together, because the ending wasn't just anywhere -- I was at home.'
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During his six-year spell at Arsenal, Cazorla won two FA Cups, lifting the trophy in 2014 and 2015.
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Early in his career he developed in Recreativo de Huelva and Malaga before moving to Villarreal, outlining a path that preceded his rise to the highest levels.
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Cazorla earned 81 caps for Spain and was part of the Euro 2008 and Euro 2012-winning squads.
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He signed for Arsenal in 2012 for about £10 million, marking a major transfer in his career.
Santi Cazorla, 41, has announced his retirement from professional football after more than two decades in the game. The Spanish playmaker made the announcement through an emotional video on social media, ending a career that took him from the streets of Oviedo to the top of European football, according to The New York Times.
His final chapter was a homecoming. Cazorla helped his boyhood club Real Oviedo win promotion to La Liga in 2025 and played one season back in Spain's top flight with them. "Now that everything is ending, when the boots are being hung up, and the noise is turning into silence, everything fits together," he said. "Because the ending wasn't just anywhere — I was at home."
From Oviedo's Academy to Europe's Biggest Stages
Cazorla grew up in Oviedo and came through the club's youth academy before moving on. He developed his game at Recreativo de Huelva and then Malaga before joining Villarreal, where he became one of Spain's best midfielders, according to Soccer News.
Arsenal signed him in 2012 for about £10 million. It was a bargain. At the Emirates, Cazorla was one of the most creative players in the Premier League. He won two FA Cups with the club, lifting the trophy in both 2014 and 2015. He earned 81 caps for Spain and was part of the Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 winning squads, according to Dev Discourse.
Ankle Injury Nearly Ended His Career Early
Cazorla's time at Arsenal was cut short by a devastating ankle injury in 2016. He underwent multiple surgeries over nearly two years. Doctors at one point warned him he might never play again. He lost significant bone in his ankle and even developed gangrene, according to Gooner Daily.
He came back anyway. Cazorla returned to Villarreal in 2018 and played some of the best football of his later career. He then moved to Al Sadd in Qatar before returning to Oviedo for a final stint that would define how the football world remembered him, according to Sporting Tribune.
Cazorla Gave Back to Oviedo in Every Way Possible
When Cazorla rejoined Oviedo, he did not ask for a big contract. He accepted the league's minimum wage. He also donated his image rights to the club. He asked that 10 percent of jersey sales go directly to the club's youth academy, according to Soccer News.
The club responded warmly, telling him he was welcome to stay in any role that suited him. His gestures made him a beloved figure in the city — not just as a player but as a person committed to the club's future, according to Dev Discourse.
Tributes Pour In for a True Football Original
Tributes from teammates, fans, and clubs flooded in after Cazorla's announcement. Arsenal paid tribute to him on social media. Fans across Spain and England remembered a player who played with joy and never seemed to lose the ball, according to The New York Times.
"I never stopped trying," Cazorla said. It was a fitting summary. He missed Spain's 2010 World Cup win due to injury but never let setbacks define him. He earned 81 caps, won two European Championships, and came back from an injury that would have ended most careers. He finished at home, the way he wanted.
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