Cazorla reduced his salary by 90% to return to his boyhood club

Cazorla played for the Oviedo youth team from 1996-2003, never played for the first team before joining Villarreal in 2003 and starting his professional career. After 20 years, the Spanish midfielder returned to Oviedo on a one-year contract.

Dubbed a "magician" by fans, the video announcing Cazorla joining Oviedo was modeled on scenes from the classic "Lord of the Rings" movie. Dressed as a wizard on a trolley decorated with Arsenal and Villarreal jerseys, the 38-year-old midfielder plays Gandalf.

According to British newspaper Sunsport, Cazorla voluntarily reduced nearly all of her income to return to Oviedo. He received $ 1.6 million a year when he played for Qatar Al Sadd club for the past three years, but now accepts $ 168,000 to return to Oviedo. This club currently plays in the Segunda Division, the second tier of the Spanish professional football pyramid

Cazorla also gave the club full rights to exploit the image, and agreed to share 10% of his shirt sales to invest in Oviedo's youth training. In 2012, Cazorla invested money to buy shares of Oviedo, to prevent the risk of bankruptcy when the club had financial difficulties.

"When you have a dream, you have to fulfill it, see this dream above all else," Cazorla said in another video on Oviedo's social media platform. "When I was 9 years old, I dreamed of playing football in my hometown, in front of the people here and my family. I always followed that dream and didn't think much of it when I returned to the club."

In Spain, Cazorla played for Villarreal, Recreativo Huelva, Malaga before joining Arsenal in 2012 for about 13 million USD. He had a severe infection in the tendon and bone of his right heel, had to be off the field for a total of 636 days and underwent eight surgeries. But Cazorla is still considered successful at the Emirates Stadium, scoring 29 goals in 180 matches, winning two FA Cups and two English Super Cups.

Cazorla returned to Villarreal in the 2018–2020 period and then played for Al Sadd club in Qatar, under his compatriot Xavi. In the early summer of 2023, he was offered to Barca as Xavi's assistant, but turned it down to continue his professional career with Oviedo.

In the national team shirt, Cazorla scored 15 goals in 81 games, was a member of the team that won Euro 2008, 2012.