Santi Cazorla has been backed for one of Spain’s biggest sporting honours, with a columnist arguing that the former Arsenal midfielder’s story deserves recognition well beyond what he won on the pitch.
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A Spanish columnist has called for former Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla to be nominated for the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, arguing that his extraordinary comeback from the injury that threatened to take his foot deserves recognition beyond what he achieved on the pitch.
Writing in La Nueva España, Pedro Allongo urged those who are able to formally nominate Cazorla forward for the award, whose criteria include exemplary conduct and the pursuit of “new goals in man’s struggle to surpass himself”.
At the heart of the case is the injury which came close to ending Cazorla’s career altogether.
11 operations, the loss of a large part of his of Achilles tendon and a skin graft taken from Cazorla’s arm only tells part of the nightmare that he endured.
Santi Cazorla’s ankle. Picture: Pablo García/MARCA
Arsène Wenger described it as the worst injury he had seen.
Cazorla eventually returned to the pitch after 668 days, making his comeback at Villarreal before earning another Spain call-up at the age of 34.
For Allongo, that recovery is exactly why Cazorla deserves to be considered.
He contrasts Cazorla’s story with that of this year’s winner, Lionel Messi, drawing a distinction between a player who “won everything” and one who “was about to lose everything and chose to return”.
Arsenal supporters will hardly need reminding how highly Cazorla is still regarded in north London.
“In London, where he spent almost two years without playing, he remains one of the most beloved footballers of recent Arsenal,” he wrote and there can be no arguments with that statement.
Arsenal fans adore him.
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Former Spain team-mates Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernández, both previous recipients, are among those Allongo suggests could help move a nomination forward.
He also names Real Oviedo, the University of Oviedo and the regional government as possible supporters.
Allongo ends his appeal with a line which neatly sums up the case he is making for a player still held in enormous affection by Arsenal supporters.
“He never asked for anything for himself,” Allongo wrote. “That’s why it’s up to us to ask for it.”
What is the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports?
- The Princess of Asturias Award for Sports is a prestigious Spanish honour recognising outstanding sporting achievement, exemplary conduct and contributions to society. Presented annually in Oviedo, it welcomes international recipients. Previous winners include Lionel Messi, Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Spain’s football team.
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images
- Journalist wants award honour for Arsenal fan favouriteSanti Cazorla has been backed for one of Spain’s leading sporting honours, with his remarkable comeback forming the heart of the case for recognition.
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