Cazorla retires from football at 41
Former Arsenal midfielder Santi Carzola has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 41.
Carzola made the announcement with a post on social media on Thursday after he bringing an end to an illustrious career that spanned for over two decades.
He started his career Real Oviedo and also ended it at the same club after he led them to promotion to the La Liga top flight in 2023 while also making 28 appearances for the team last season.
Cazorla wrote on X: “We think life goes in circles until we realize that some stories never really end. They just take you back to the beginning. Like an 8.
“My story didn’t begin in a big stadium or under bright lights. It began in Fonciello, on an ordinary field, with a ball and a little boy who only wanted to play soccer. From there, little by little, I found my way and experienced so many beautiful moments.
“I also went through moments I never expected, but I never stopped trying. In the end, I came back. Not to close a chapter, but to feel it again. To remember why I started.
“And now, when everything fades, when the boots are hung up and the noise turns into silence, everything makes sense. Because the ending wasn’t somewhere else. It was at home, in the same place where the magic began. Some stories are never truly over. They stay with you forever. Like an 8 (jersey number). Like infinity.”
Read Also: Spurs complete Tonali, Fernandes deals as De Zerbi continues squad rebuild
Cazorla won two FA Cups with Arsenal in 2014 and 2015, during six years at the Emirates Stadium.
He was also part of the Spanish team that won the European Championship in 2008 and 2012.
Similarly, Real Oviedo hailed Cazorla’s commitment to the club during his second stint.
The club said in a statement: “Cazorla decided to come back earning the minimum salary allowed by the league and donated all his image rights to the club.
“In return, he only asked that 10 per cent of the sales of his jersey be entirely dedicated to Real Oviedo’s youth academy, to contribute to the growth of future generations.”
Cazorla played a total of 776 matches in his career, scoring 143 goals. He scored 15 goals for Spain in 85 matches.
He won a total of 13 trophies including two FA Cup and Qatar Stars League among many others.
