Santi Cazorla is the ultimate legend, despite his lack of money.

Fairytales are very rare in the modern world of football. It is driven by money and can be soulless.

They remind us that this game is so important.

Santi Cazorla’s tale is one of pain and love. It’s also a story about pure devotion to a game. The man who hails from Llanera is a small Asturian town and one of the last romantics to play a game where money rules.

The injury that ‘ate’ eight centimetres of his tendon

Cazorla was injured in a Champions League game against Ludogorets in October 2016. He suffered an injury to the right Achilles tendon.

Eight surgeries followed, an infection that ate away eight centimetres from his tendon and a serious fear he would lose his foot.

He didn’t play football for 636 days. Most people thought he wouldn’t return to football. Santi accomplished the impossible. In 2018, he returned to the Villarreal pitch, which felt like a miraculous moment.

Santi Cazorla’s pure love for Oviedo

Fast forward until 2023.

Cazorla was able to retire at 38 after his stint in Qatar. He could have been satisfied with a career which included two European Championships in Spain, years of Premier League play with Arsenal, and more than 80 international caps.

But he picked something else.

He chose love. He went back to Real Oviedo. This was the place where he began, his club, his childhood club. What was his goal? It was to bring Oviedo, which had been out of La Liga for more than two decades, back into the league.

He offered to play free of charge. League rules required a minimum yearly salary of €93,000, which he accepted, but he gave up all his image rights to the club. What was the only thing he requested? The club will invest 10% of the shirt sales directly into its youth academy.

On Saturday night, he had a fantasy that came true.

Oviedo had not played in La Liga for over a decade and, during that time, the team had fallen to the fourth division.

Santi played a key role in their promotion playoffs this season. Santi scored against Almeria in the semi-finals and then again in the final.

Saturday night, in the decisive second leg against Mirandés, Oviedo were down 1–0 from the first leg and again fell behind at home after a goal from Panichelli.

Cazorla, as calm and elegant a man as ever, scored the equaliser from the spot-kick in the 39th minutes.

Oviedo moved forward in the second period and scored a goal by Ilyas Chaira. Portillo secured Oviedo’s promotion with a final goal during extra time.

The happiest human being alive

Oviedo has returned to La Liga after 24 years of hard work. Cazorla was the heart of everything. He is now 40 years old and 7 months.

After the match he said:

“I am the happiest person alive.” It’s the most beautiful thing that I have ever experienced at age 40. I’ve won a lot — with Spain, with my clubs. Nothing compares with this. This club is something else. Since I was nine, I have been here. I’ve been here since I was nine. I’ll always be an Oviedo supporter.”

Cazorla’s heart was the only thing Cazorla could give to a football sport that is dominated by money. No sponsors, no bonuses, no image deals. One man chasing his dream of a place he loves. On Saturday night, one man became a legend.

It is indeed the most beautiful football tale in the history of the world.

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