Santi Cazorla bows out: the playmaker who defied amputation to rewrite history
At 41, Arsenal legend Santi Cazorla retires after a career that turned a near-amputation into a fairy-tale return to glory at Real Oviedo.
Santi Cazorla has retired at 41, ending a career that fused technical genius with a medical miracle. The former Arsenal and Spain midfielder announced his retirement on Instagram, closing a chapter that began in Asturias and peaked at the Emirates. Cazorla leaves behind a trophy haul that includes two FA Cups and back-to-back European Championships with Spain, but his most enduring feat is the return from a life-altering ankle infection in 2016.
