After guiding his hometown club to La Liga for the first time in 24 years, former Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla has made a key decision.
Former Spanish international Santi Cazorla has extended his career by another year, signing a one-season contract with his boyhood club Oviedo, whom he helped gain promotion to La Liga, the club announced on Saturday.
The 40-year-old midfielder, a European champion with Spain in 2008 and 2012, with 81 caps for La Roja, returned to his first club in 2023 while they were in the second division.
Cazorla had successful spells at Arsenal (2012-2018) and two stints at Villarreal (2004-2011 and 2018-2020). Oviedo will be playing in the top flight for the first time after a 24-year absence.
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Oviedo were promoted after beating Mirandes in the promotion-relegation playoff last month.
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Huge celebrations erupted as fans invaded the pitch when Real Oviedo secured return to La Liga after 24 years, thanks in part to a former Arsenal player.
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 but six days later, they engineered a comeback, winning 3-1 in a match that went to extra time.
After leaving Arsenal in 2018, Cazorla 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 announced that he would receive a salary of just 91,000 euros a season.
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Now, he will hope to play a key role as Oviedo seeks to stay in La Liga following their 24-year wait for top flight football.