Santi Cazorla’s Nightmare Injury and Arsenal’s Brilliant Contract Gesture

Santi Cazorla has recently revealed the regret he feels for not being able to leave Arsenal with a proper sound-off to his fans, and that he received a special contract gesture from long-time manager, Arsene Wenger. The 33-year-old became part of Villarreal during the summer months after a long, two-year battle where he saw very little real play-time thanks to a series of injuries.

Over the last few months, the Spaniard was forced to endure a number of surgeries in the hope that he’d be back on the field in full form, despite the many times he was told that time on the football pitch was most likely never going to happen again.

Despite the numerous setbacks that Cazorla has faced these last two seasons, he’s back in the playing field once again, and has been a part of all three of Villarreal’s league games so far this season. His success, however, hasn’t changed the regret that he feels for not having the chance to give a proper goodbye to his fans, or that his exit from the Gunners didn’t go down as smoothly as he had hoped. Transfers and contract terminations are never fun, and can affect fans, teammates, and even things like live AFL betting.

Cazorla’s Time at Arsenal

When questioned about remaining at Arsenal for the summer, Cazorla explained that it wasn’t possible; that the club had been very open and honest with him. His statement also reveals that he was hoping to let Arsenal see him and his performance on the pitch, but they wanted to put a team together as quickly as possible, and there wasn’t any room left for the player.

Apart from the mix up, Cazorla added that his time with Arsenal; experiencing their friendliness and their willingness to help him made him form a connection with the club that he will always have, and that not being a part of the games at Emirates will always be one of his regrets.

Wenger’s Surprise Gesture

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had offered Cazorla a new contract renewal that would have been for the 2016-2017 season, despite the manager knowing that the Spaniard would not be able to take part in any games for a while. He explained that Wenger had always supported him, and that his renewal of his contract before the start of his first operation was a heart-warming gesture.

The gesture provided the peace of mind that Cazorla desperately needed at the time, and allowed him to focus on his rehabilitation without the fear of going back into the football world without any work, or the possibility of finding a new contract mid-season.

That just shows how highly Cazorla was thought of at the club. Respect!