Santi Cazorla was sent off in Spanish football for the first time on Friday night after a late VAR intervention upgraded a yellow card to a straight red during Real Oviedo’s 0-0 draw with Mallorca.
Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images
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The incident came in the closing stages at the Carlos Tartiere when Cazorla was initially booked for a tackle on Vedat Muriqi. After a pitchside review, the referee judged the challenge to be serious foul play and changed the decision to a dismissal.
Oviedo ended the match with nine men after Federico Viñas was also sent off in stoppage time, but they held on for a point.
Spanish reports described the tackle, that you can see below, as a studs-up challenge into Muriqi’s ankle, which prompted the VAR review.
It was the first time Cazorla has been dismissed in a domestic Spanish match, more than 10 years after the only other red card of his professional career when he was sent off for Arsenal against Chelsea in September 2015.
The dismissal means Cazorla will be suspended for Oviedo’s next league match away to Sevilla, with the length of any further ban to be decided by the disciplinary authorities.
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Now approaching his 41st birthday, Cazorla rejoined Oviedo two decades after leaving as a teenager and helped them secure promotion back to La Liga.
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In north London, Cazorla built a reputation as one of the most composed and technically gifted midfielders of the Emirates era under Arsène Wenger. He made 180 appearances for the club, scoring 29 goals and providing 45 assists.
His defining moments included the free kick that sparked Arsenal’s comeback in the 2014 FA Cup final against Hull City, a starring role in the 2015 final win over Aston Villa, and goals in two Community Shield victories.
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His Arsenal career was cut short by a severe Achilles injury that required multiple surgeries and ruled him out from late 2016 before his departure in 2018 and almost resulted in him losing his foot.
While he has made no mention of retiring any time soon, Cazorla has already made it clear he would like to return to Arsenal in a coaching capacity when that day finally arrives.
