Santiago “Santi” Cazorla González , one of the former Arsenal legend announced that he didn’t want to play for any money when he returned to his home club “Real Oviedo”.

It’s when this 39 years old player recently returned to the club where his football journey began during the period of two decades ago as he agreed to waive almost all of his image rights , with a generous 10% dedicated to support the club’s academy to ensure to the development of young talents.

Due to the Laliga rules dismissed this proposal Cazorla will only receive minimum wage during his time at Oviedo even he wanted to play for free.

“I would play for free but you are not allowed. They made a good offer.
No, no, you are not going to Oviedo to earn, you are going home to enjoy it, just to help, yet to give.” My wife said.

In his words; Santi Cazorla announced that he called his agent to tell him that he will never play for any money as well as he will receive a minimum wage, 10 % of shirts sales to the academy and it was done that night.

Cazorla has been treated so good everywhere ; at Arsenal, everyone loves him, the same at Villarreal, at Recre, at Málaga,… but he feels deep in responsibility.

He don’t want to be a guy who comes to sell shirts or because he was a symbol of the academy ; he wants to be a footballer rather than any other expectation.

Santiago Cazorla was born on 13 December 1984 and is a Spanish professional footballer who is now playing for Segunda Division at Real Oviedo club. He was a former an international Spanish who primarily operates as an attacking midfielder but also plays as a winger, a central midfielder or as a deep-lying playmaker.

He began his career at Villarreal as professional in 2003, from his hometown club “Real Oviedo”. He continued at Recreativo de Huelva in 2006-7 La Liga season, who became their top ten finish and awarded as a Spanish footballer of the year.

He later returned to Villarreal, joined Málaga in 2011 and Arsenal from 2012 up to 2018 and then returned to Villarreal again for two years where in 2020, he signed for Quatar club Al Sadd before returning to his childhood club in 2023, “Real Oviedo.”