The Arsenal legend Santi Cazorla was released by the Gunners last month after missing out on two whole seasons of football while his ankle was reconstructed. But he did return to Arsenal for the last couple of months of last season and we all hoped he could get to play a few minutes before he left but he wasn’t quite ready.
But now he has returned to his old club Villarreal and he has been training with the team, and has actually returned to the pitch in a friendly against Hercules on Tuesday, and although it was great to be playing again, he admits he still has a long way to go. He said: ‘People tell me that I have to assess where I am now and where I was 20 months ago and to think about what I have gone through.
‘I am only thinking about getting rid of the pain as soon as possible because I am not enjoying what I am doing.
‘I want to train with my colleagues again and to feel like a footballer.
‘It is hard to express what it feels like to be out on the pitch after so much time.
‘To feel like a footballer again, to feel the love of the people and the reception they gave me.’
‘They have treated me very well from my first day here,’
‘It is like I had never left.
‘The treatment from my teammates and me feeling comfortable is so important for my progression.
‘I cannot really repay or reward what Villarreal have done for me.
‘Not only when I was 18, but because they opened their doors after two years out and gave me their facilities without putting pressure on me.
‘It is something that only this club can give me.’
It remains to be seen whether he can get back to a fitness level without pain so that he could play a full 90 minutes, but he will definitely have the support of all Arsenal fans on his journey. You will be sorely missed Santi….
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Hopefully Arsenal won’t wait 10 years to replace his quality as with CDM.
In my opinion the club still has not addressed this role for the team. Santi brought that control and knitted the team together so well; transitioning from defending to attacking.
Unfortunately we have midfield depth, but STILL lack the creativity, that tailor to knit everything together.
Our terrible defense overshadowed a very poor midfield. One could argue that because the midfield was so poor it caused a fragile defense to crack and shatter.
Point being, until that aspect of midfield is fixed, it will drag down and limit our A+ attack, and put a shaky defense under increased pressure.
I hope with torreira, xhaka will step up his game. Xhaka despite his suppose bad performance was the 3rd best in passes completed in epl last season.
Extremely hard player to replace. I actually cant think of a player who is potentially available that can give us what santi gave. Maybe we shud all just accept there is no other santi and we have to try another method. So please stop saying we havent replaced him. You can’t replace the irreplaceable. Wishing you well santi in everything you do. Was a pleasure watching you at the Emirates. Good luck fella.
Less about replacing a player and more about filling a hole.
Perhaps that’s a reason we have fallen behind. Trying to replace a player (which is near impossible) rather than strengthen a weakness.
Not asking for a clone of Santi, only asking to find another midfield general who can grab a game by the reins.
Ozil got the msg and his training with his team mates earlier then expected ?
Cazorla you will always be Remembered as an Arsenal great, hope you recover and enjoy your love for your trade in your final years ❤️
He totally owned his position before his terrible injury. Xhaka and Ramsey were no where near him. Would have been awesome to have Cazorla at his best with Torreira!!!
Cazorla was also much more consistent than Ozil too. Great passer, very creative
Miss him so much. Hope he gets better and plays for his new club. He almost had a foot amputated. Hes gone through a lot.
Btw Andres Gomes is no where near Cazorla level either.
Oooooh Santi Cazorla (has a better ring to it than Ooooh Michael Van Gerwen!!)
Hope he can keep playing for a few more years at least……
good luck santi, when fit you gave everything for the club. hope you will enjoy playing again. – gooner = forever
Man was a king in arsenal. God bless him
talking of replacing him When was the last time he played for us
santi was owesome a joy to watch but ppl should stop bringing in pointless comments like we have not replaced santi….football Is not puzzle
Arsenal Firsts
1.first English League match to be broadcast live on radio involved arsenal..arsenal Vs Sheffield
2.first football match in the world to be televised live involved arsenal..arsenal first team Vs arsenal reserves
3.first edition of the BBC’s Match of the Day involved arsenal..arsenal Vs Liverpool
4.first live public broadcast of a sports event on 3D television sky coverage involved arsenal..arsenal Vs man u
5.first club to reach a seventh and an eighth League Championship
6.first side in English football to complete the FA Cup and League Cup double
7.first London club to reach the final of the UEFA Champions League
8.first and club to own a golden premier league trophy
9.first and only club to have gone unbeaten in the EPL in the modern era
10.First english side to have won the UEFA Women’s Cup or UEFA Women’s Champions League
Arsenal Nice Records
1.hold the highest number of FA Cup trophies, with 13.
2.Arsenal have one of the best top-flight records in history, having finished below fourteenth only seven times.
3.arsenal have won the second most top flight league matches in English football, and have also accumulated the second most points, whether calculated by two points per win or by the contemporary points value
4.Arsenal have been in the top flight for the most consecutive seasons (92 as of 2017–18)
5.Arsenal have the highest average league finishing position for the 20th century, with an average league placement of 8.5.
6.Arsenal set a Champions League record during the 2005–06 season by going ten matches without conceding a goal, beating the previous best of seven set by A.C. Milan. They went a record total stretch of 995 minutes without letting an opponent score; the streak ended in the final, when Samuel Eto’o scored a 76th-minute equaliser for Barcelona
7.Arsenal hold the record for the longest top flight win streak
I’m so proud to be a gooner..these records give me great joy and pride… We are by far the greatest club the world has ever seen… Up Arsenal.. I love Arsenal…oh i love my club!!!!!!!!!
Brilliant Chiza, correct me if I’m wrong but I think we’ve been a top flight club since the resumption of football after the First World War in 1919 which would be 99 years.
I think I can see what happened . Re-Started 1919/20 to 2017/18 Two years off, six years for World War Two, that makes Eight years off, take from one hundred you have ninety two. got ya. Still like to think we’ll be celebrating one hundred years top flight in 2020. To think Tottenham and United in the Second Division in the ’70’s, Chelsea before the Russian a yo yo club and City down in the Third.
IT IS GREAT TO SEE THAT A YOUNG MAN SUCH AS YOU ACTUALLY KNOWS OUR RECORDS HISTORY SO WELL. SO PLEASED YOU SAY YOU LOVE “THE CLUB” WHICH IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN MERELY THE CURRENT TEAM. I wish there were more young fans with your knowledge and more important who actually care deeply about the past gloroius and also not so glorious(at times) history. Our history is a crucial part of what we are, so well written.
Thanks for that Chisa. You missed the longest run in the Champions League by an English Club.
The first southern club to win the first division.
That match of the day game was a season opener and the late great Don Howe played ( I think is debut game for Arsenal) and he had a nightmare of a game. Just as well there wasn’t a website like this when all the impassioned success now and i mean now Arsenal fans would have claimed how useless he is and demanded he bsold off.
Good one to you too Snowden. What about the most players to represent England, Seven against Italy in 1934 in the “Battle of Highbury” and what about Ted Drakes seven goals at Villa Park and under the old two points for a win system held the record of 66 points for the season. Incidentally Spurs double side of 60/61 could have beaten that record but lost at home to West Brom on the last day of the season and ended up on 65. Shame.
Best of luck santi, he had magic on those boots, I hope he can gain some fitness and grace the field again.
Love his style of play and what he brought to the club.
Still remember the free kick he scored against hull in the FA cup which allowed us to turn the game around.
Beat of luck santi, true magician.
Bravo – little magician, bravo!