Santi Cazorla admits he’s made retirement decision

Santi Cazorla has revealed that he’s made a decision on a possible retirement this summer, but he’s not going to announce it yet.

Former Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla is still in action in top-flight football with Real Oviedo in La Liga this season, despite having turned 41 in December.

Cazorla had played a key role in Oviedo’s promotion to the top flight last season, but they look likely to drop back down this summer. The club sit 20th in La Liga with five games remaining and an eight-point gap to 17th place and safety. A miracle would be required to survive.

Perhaps that’s why Cazorla told the media this week that whilst he’s made a decision on his future, he doesn’t believe it’s the right time to announce it yet.

“I made the decision [on my future] a few weeks ago, but I don’t think it’s the right time to announce it yet because it needs to be discussed with the club,” Cazorla said. “Right now, the important thing is to stay focused on the sporting side, above my future or that of any other player.

“But yes, I’ve made up my mind, and I’ll officially announce it in the coming days or weeks.

“In the end, everything in life has a beginning and an end. But like I said, I’m very focused on finishing the season well and continuing to contribute until the end.

“As I said, after discussing it with the club, my family, and everyone, I’ll make the best decision and see what’s best for everyone.”

In the wake of those comments Spain legend Xavi has spoken out about the former Arsenal player, saying: “I was lucky enough to be Santi’s team­mate in the national team and after, reuniting again in Qatar when I was already a coach. The only thing I can say is that it was a priv­ilege to coach him.

“I can only speak won­ders about Santi. It is a spec­tacle to watch him play, he has an incred­ible tal­ent, unbeat­able, he is a dif­fer­en­tial foot­baller. I’ve seen that tal­ent in very few play­ers in the his­tory of foot­ball.”

Cazorla has made 23 appearances for Oviedo this season, but the majority of them have been from the bench, with only four starts. All four of those starts came before the turn of the year, meaning the Spaniard hasn’t started a game in 2026 so far.

If the midfielder has decided to call time on his career, it would make sense. But he’s unlikely to confirm it whilst his team are still fighting for their survival in the Spanish top flight, as they don’t need the distraction.

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