Former Spanish national team and Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla has officially announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 41.
The decision was announced via his social media , after he spent the last three seasons with his boyhood club, Real Oviedo.
"It all started in Fonciello, on a simple pitch with a ball and a kid who just wanted to play football. That's where I come from. I experienced so many beautiful moments, but also difficult ones, but I never stopped trying. In the end, I returned to Real Oviedo, not to end a journey, but to experience it once again. Now that it's over, it feels complete. I finish my career at home, in the same place where the magic began," Cazorla said in his farewell.
Cazorla has called time on a 25-year professional career. His career began with Real Oviedo in 2001, before taking him to major clubs such as Villarreal, Malaga, and Arsenal.
With the Spanish national team, Cazorla was part of La Furia Roja's golden generation that won the European Championship (Euro) in 2008 and 2012. He made 81 appearances and scored 15 goals during his time with his country.
