Santi Cazorla has decided to retire from professional football. The Spanish midfielder ends his career at Real Oviedo, giving his final chapter a symbolic meaning after returning to the place where his path in the game first started.

Cazorla ends his playing career

Santi Cazorla has officially retired from football at the age of 41. The Spaniard announced his decision through a special farewell video, using it to look back on a career shaped by talent, resilience and a strong emotional link with Real Oviedo.

That connection makes the ending especially meaningful. Cazorla began his football journey in Asturias, developing through CD Covadonga and Real Oviedo before moving on to bigger stages. After years at Villarreal, Malaga, Arsenal and Al-Sadd, he returned to Oviedo for the final three seasons of his career.

His last chapter was not only symbolic. Cazorla helped the club return to La Liga, although Oviedo were unable to stay in the top division and dropped back down after one season.

A career built on class and survival

Cazorla finishes with an impressive club record: 774 appearances, 144 goals and 156 assists. His longest spell came at Villarreal, where he played 330 matches, but he also became a respected figure at Arsenal and later continued his career in Qatar with Al-Sadd.

For Spain, he made 85 appearances and scored 15 goals. He was part of the national team’s golden generation and won two European Championship titles.

Cazorla was never the loudest name in Spanish football, but he was one of its most elegant players. His technique, intelligence and ability to recover from serious injuries defined his career. Ending it at Real Oviedo gives the story a clean, emotional finish: not a random farewell, but a return to the beginning.