Santi Cazorla was an excellent player for Arsenal , but injury denied the club's fans the chance to say goodbye to him. Now 41, and playing for Real Oviedo at the Bernabu for the last time, Real Madrid supporters gave the player a standing ovation.
Cazorla joined Arsenal in 2012 and quickly became a fan favorite . His natural talent and ability to use both feet were a real asset to Arsene Wenger's side. In total, he played 180 times for the Gunners, scoring 29 goals and providing 44 assists.
The midfielder won two FA Cups and two Community Shields with Arsenal. This was during a difficult period for the Gunners, where they had sold many of their top players. However, ankle surgery cut short his 2016/17 campaign. He then missed the entire 2017/18 season. This was sad for Arsenal supporters, as they were unable to give the player the send-off he deserved.
Cazorla then returned to Villarreal , where he had two stints before joining Arsenal. He helped them make it to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they lost to their La Liga rivals Valencia . He then joined Al Sadd, where he won the Qatar Stars League twice, the Qatar Cup, Emir of Qatar Cup, and the Qatari Stars Cup.
The midfielder then returned to Real Oviedo, where he had spent time as a youth player before joining Villarreal. Despite now being in his 40s, Cazorla has still played in La Liga 26 times this season. He has not scored, but has provided one assist, which came in a 3-3 draw with Real Sociedad .
Cazorla has mostly been used as a substitute this season, and his appearance against Real Madrid yesterday was just a 35-minute cameo. Oviedo has just two more games this season, at home against Alavez before an away match with Mallorca . Cazorla can expect more emotional send-offs, particularly in Oviedo's last home game of the season this Sunday.
His contract with Oviedo expires this summer, and it is unclear what he will do next. He definitely has the soccer brain to become a very good coach.
Maybe a role for him at Arsenal could come up in the future. He still has a big affinity with the club, and his experience and passion for soccer could be a real asset back at the club. Cazorla is also a very smiley, popular player who could also have a career in the media.
This article was originally published on www.paininthearsenal.com as Santi Cazorla finally got the message every Arsenal fan wanted to give him .
