Arsenal Cut Hero, 40, Masterminds Hometown Club’s La Liga Return After 24 Years

Returning home and taking his club to La Liga... 24 years later.

That's exactly what 40-year-old Santi Cazorla did. After finishing third in LaLiga 2, Real Oviedo advanced to the playoffs and ultimately celebrated promotion on Saturday.

To reach the playoff final, Real Oviedo defeated Almería, home to Luís Maximiano and Gui Guedes, in the semi-finals, with Cazorla playing a decisive role.

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In the first leg of the final, Real Oviedo lost to Mirandes, 1-0, on Sunday, June 15th. This Saturday, they engineered a comeback, winning 3-1 in a match that went to extra time.

Joaquín Panichelli scored for Mirandés in the 16th minute, complicating matters for Real Oviedo. However, Santi Cazorla stepped up in the 39th minute, converting a penalty. Ilyas Chaira leveled the aggregate score in the 52nd minute. In extra time, Francisco Portillo completed the comeback.

The final whistle blew, and Real Oviedo celebrated their return to the top flight after 24 years, with fans storming the pitch.

After leaving Arsenal in 2018, Cazrola returned to Villarreal and played for the La Liga side for two years before heading to Qatar to join Al Sadd where he had three successful seasons.

He joined Oviedo in August 2023, going back to where it all started and annouced that he would receive a salaray of just 91,000 euros a season. Now, he can celebrate a return to La Liga after 24 years in the lower divisions.