Santi Cazorla

Santi Cazorla

Cazorla with Arsenal in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Santiago Cazorla González
Date of birth	(1984-12-13) 13 December 1984 (age 39)
Place of birth	Llanera, Asturias, Spain
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Real Oviedo
Number	8
Youth career
1992–1996	Covadonga
1996–2003	Real Oviedo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2004	Villarreal B	40	(4)
2003–2006	Villarreal	54	(2)
2006–2007	Recreativo Huelva	34	(5)
2007–2011	Villarreal	127	(23)
2011–2012	Málaga	38	(9)
2012–2018	Arsenal	129	(25)
2018–2020	Villarreal	70	(15)
2020–2023	Al Sadd	55	(23)
2023–	Real Oviedo	24	(0)
International career‡
2004–2006	Spain U21	7	(0)
2008–2019	Spain	81	(15)
Medal record Men's Football Representing  Spain UEFA European Championship Winner 2008 Austria–Switzerland Winner 2012 Poland–Ukraine FIFA Confederations Cup Runner-up 2013 Brazil 2009 South Africa
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 June 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 November 2019 (UTC)

Santiago Cazorla González (Spanish pronunciation: [sanˈtjaɣo ˈsanti kaˈθoɾla ɣonˈθaleθ];^[A] born 13 December 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Segunda División club Real Oviedo. A former Spanish international, Cazorla operates primarily as an attacking midfielder, but also plays as a winger, central midfielder or as a deep-lying playmaker.

Cazorla began his professional career at Villarreal in 2003 after impressing as a youngster with Oviedo, his hometown club. He continued his development at Villarreal before a short spell at partner club, Recreativo de Huelva. He was Recreativo Huelva's standout player in the 2006–07 La Liga season, contributing to their top-ten finish and being awarded Spain's Footballer of the Year. He returned to Villarreal for €1.2 million the following season, becoming a key contributor to the side, regularly being named in the La Liga Team of the Season. In 2011, Cazorla moved to Málaga in a club-record €21 million deal, where he gained a reputation for his speed, shooting accuracy, capacity to change the rhythm of gameplay, and excellent close control.^[2][3]

After the 2011–12 season, coupled with Málaga's perilous financial situation, Cazorla moved to Premier League side Arsenal for a fee of £10 million, where he became a core component to the team in his first year at the club, registering thirteen assists, after which he was voted Arsenal Player of the Season, as well as becoming ranked one of the best footballers in Europe.^[4] Cazorla was integral in ending the club's nine-year trophy drought, scoring a crucial free-kick en route to winning the FA Cup final in 2014. Injuries plagued his latter years with Arsenal. In 2018, Cazorla returned to Villarreal; in his two seasons, he recorded his highest appearance, league goals and assist count since 2015. In 2020, he signed for Qatari club Al Sadd before returning to his childhood club Oviedo in 2023.

Cazorla made his senior debut for Spain in a victory against Peru in May 2008,^[5] and was a semi-regular participant in the nation's triumphs at UEFA Euro 2008 and Euro 2012, as well as featuring at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first international goal in a friendly match against Chile, and went on to amass 81 appearances and 15 goals for the national side.

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