Santi Cazorla has signed a new one -year contract with Real Oviedo to stay with the newly promoted Liga club.
Athletics On Wednesday, Oviedo was confident to extend the 40 -year stay, after helping his home team at the first flight of Spanish football for the first time since 2001.
Cazorla, whose previous agreement expired this summer, scored in the final victory of the playoffs against mirands after also marked in the victory in the semi-finals against Almeria.
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– Real Oviedo (@REALOVIEDO) July 12, 2025
The former Arsenal playmaker will enter his third season with Oviedo, marking his return to La Liga after leaving Villarreal five years ago. He spent seven years in the configuration of Oviedo young people, but the club underwent deep financial difficulties and could not offer a professional contract in Cazorla, which left in 2003 before making its first team debut.
Cazorla was one of the multiple former Oviedo players to buy actions in the club in 2012 when he faced the prospect of going bankrupt. He returned to the club in 2023 after a three -year spell with the Qatari club Al Sadd and has since made 61 appearances, recording five goals and nine assists.
The former Spanish international won two European titles with his country in 2008 and 2012, but an Achilles injury in 2016 saw Cazorla undergo a prolonged injury period, undergoing 11 operations to deal with the problem. One of the operations led to a gangrene, the doctors saying to Cazorla that he could find it difficult to walk properly, but he recovered to continue his player career.
This particular issue occurred during his six-year fate in Arsenal, where he made 180 appearances and helped the Northern London team at FA Cup titles in 2014 and 2015. Cazorla only made 11 appearances in her last two seasons in Arsenal, missing the entire 2017-2018 campaign before joining Villarreal.
Cazorla one of the most popular characters in Spain
Analysis by Dermot Corrigan
Cazorla playing another season for Oviedo will be extremely welcomed by everyone in his native club, while supporters in other Liga stadiums will also be delighted to see one of the most popular characters in Spanish football.
The playmaker is a hero in Oviedo, especially after his return to guide them to La Liga for the first time in 24 years, and the task will now be to do what he can establish them in the upper division.
Age means that Cazorla is unlikely to play 90 full minutes throughout the season, but he showed during the playoffs (a free goal in the semi-finals and a penalty in the final) that he can always have a real impact on the team in vital moments. His emotional reaction when the promotion has been secured also showed how all this meant for him – after spending most of his career far from Oviedo.
The experience, influence and profile of Cazorla will also be extremely important in the locker room and around the club, and it is really appreciated by the Mexican owners of Oviedo, Grupo Pachuca (who also owns the Liga MX Pachuca teams and the club Leon).
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