Santi Cazorla La Liga Player of the Month Awards

Lore & Background

Cazorla began his professional career at Villarreal in 2003 after impressing as a youngster with Oviedo, his hometown club, where he was forced to leave due to Oviedo's poor financial situation. He returned to Villarreal for €1.2 million in 2007 after a standout season at Recreativo de Huelva, becoming a key contributor and regularly being named in the La Liga Team of the Season. In 2011, he moved to Málaga in a club-record €21 million deal. After the 2011–12 season, he moved to Arsenal for £10 million, where he was voted Arsenal Player of the Season in his first year. He returned to Villarreal in 2018, and in 2020 signed for Qatari club Al Sadd. In 2023, he returned to Real Oviedo on the lowest financial contract possible to help the club, playing a significant role in their return to La Liga after 24 years in 2025.

Reader's Guide

Cazorla made his senior debut for Spain in a victory against Peru in May 2008, 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 amassed 81 appearances and 15 goals for the national side.

Did You Know?

• Cazorla scored his first international goal in a friendly match against Chile.
• He was integral in ending Arsenal's nine-year trophy drought, scoring a crucial free-kick en route to winning the FA Cup final in 2014.