Ex-Spain and Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla, 40, leads Oviedo back to the top flight in Spain
MADRID — With veteran Santi Cazorla leading the way 20 years after he left the club, Oviedo made it back to the first division of the Spanish league. HT Image
The club owned by Mexico's Grupo Pachuca since 2022 secured its return to the top flight with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Mirandes in the final of the promotion playoffs on Saturday night. After a 1-0 first-leg loss, it won 3-1 in extra time with Cazorla scoring one of the goals.
Cazorla, the former Spain and Arsenal playmaker, converted a 39th-minute penalty for Oviedo, which sealed its promotion for the first time since the 2000-01 season thanks to Francisco Portillo's goal in extra time after erasing the first-leg deficit with a 2-1 win in regulation.
Oviedo, coached by former Serbian player Veljko Paunovic since March, had been in the second division since 2015-16, and spent a few seasons in the third tier before that.
'At 40 years old I think this is the greatest thing I've ever experienced,' Cazorla said. 'I've been lucky enough to experience great things with Spain and with the clubs that I've been with, winning many trophies, but nothing compares to this.'
Oviedo, based in northwestern Spain, is Cazorla's boyhood club. He rejoined Oviedo in 2023 after playing in Qatar.
'I have a special feeling for this club,' Cazorla said. 'I played in this youth academy when I was 9 years old. I grew up here, I have my friends, my family. I'll be an Oviedo fan all my life. This makes it very special.'
Cazorla, who dealt with serious injuries throughout his career, also thrived with Villarreal in Spain. He was a major contributor for Arsenal under Arsene Wenger from 2012-18.
Grupo Pachuca recently made headlines as two of its clubs in Mexico, Leon and Pachuca, qualified for the Club World Cup but only Pachuca was allowed to compete because of regulations around multi-club ownership.
Mirandes, based in northern Spain, was trying to make it to the first division for the first time.
soccer: /hub/soccer
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Alcaraz wins Queen's Club Championships ahead of Wimbledon title defence
Top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz claimed his second title at the Queen's Club in London on Sunday, ahead of Wimbledon 2025 where he will be the two-time defending champion. World No. 2 Alcaraz, who bagged his maiden grasscourt title at the same ATP 500 event in 2023, defeated Czechia's Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 inside a packed Andy Murray Arena to extend his unbeaten streak to 18 matches. With his fourth title on grass, the 22-year-old Alcaraz also tied Rafael Nadal and Feliciano Lopez for the most titles amongst Spanish men on the surface in the Open Era. Alcaraz pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes. King Carlos II 👑 The moment @carlosalcaraz was crowned the King of Queen's for a second time! # — Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 22, 2025 Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-times Grand Slam champion and edged the second set tie-break with some clinical tennis. Alcaraz had more in his locker though and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop. He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. Wimbledon will be held from June 30 to July 13. (With inputs from Reuters)
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
MS Dhoni shares exciting moment daughter Ziva receives Lionel Messi's signed Argentina jersey
MS Dhoni shares exciting moment daughter Ziva receives Lionel Messi's signed Argentina jersey (Image via Getty) Mahendra Singh Dhoni's daughter got a wonderful gift this week. The unique moment between two sportspeople of different sports made cricket and football fans ecstatic as the photo went viral on social media. A photo of MS Dhoni 's daughter, Ziva Singh Dhoni, wearing an autographed Argentina jersey that Lionel Messi had gifted her, went viral on 22 June 2025. This sweet gesture united three big names- MS Dhoni, Lionel Messi and little Ziva- and became viral in no time on social media. MS Dhoni's daughter Ziva Singh Dhoni receives Lionel Messi's autographed Argentina jersey MS Dhoni's daughter, Ziva, is once again breaking the internet, and this time, not for anything that features her, but because it relates to two of the most loved sports personalities in the world. In a latest update posted on her official Instagram account operated by her parents MS Dhoni and Sakshi Dhoni, Ziva can be seen wearing a Jersey of the Argentina national football team. It was autographed by Lionel Messi, with a message penned in Spanish — 'Para Ziva,' which translated to 'For Ziva. ' This Lionel Messi signed Argentina shirt has been personally donated by Leo Messi and so it's a rather unique gift. The jersey has since gone viral among fans who were moved by the sweet gesture between Messi and Dhoni's family. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The moment was shared on various platforms including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, and garnered thousands of likes and comments. The post mentioned how Ziva has inherited the love for football from her father MS Dhoni. A: Dhoni, the retired Indian cricket captain, is fan of football. He is also the co-owner of Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League (ISL). His backing of Lionel Messi is no secret and this present now adds to the respect they obviously hold for one another as two of the planet's biggest sports stars. MS Dhoni and Lionel Messi connect through daughter Ziva's viral moment Ziva Singh Dhoni's viral photo featuring an autographed Argentina shirt by Lionel Messi has delighted cricket and football lovers alike. Additionally sharing the picture on her story, MS Dhoni's wife, Sakshi Dhoni, got even more attention. Many internet users have praised Messi's warm and simple gesture. After Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Lionel Messi reportedly signed the shirt. Reportedly, Messi autographed multiple jerseys for renowned Indian sports stars including BCCI executives and legends like Dhoni at the time. Among Lionel Messi and MS Dhoni, this classic present to Ziva stands apart as a great show of respect. Follow all the live updates, scores, and highlights from the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
4 hours ago
- First Post
Watch: Fight erupts in England-Spain U-21 Euro quarter-final, with players having to be dragged off pitch
The Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava, Slovakia witnessed heated scenes on the pitch after England defeated Spain 3-1 in the quarter-finals of the ongoing U-21 European Championship, with coaches from both teams and match officials having to separate players. read more English and Spanish players fight at the end of their U-21 Euro quarter-final at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium, in Trnava, Slovakia on Saturday, 21 June. AP War broke out between England and Spain on the football pitch during a heated U-21 European Championship match in Slovakia on Saturday in which players ended up getting physical with one another and had to be dragged out of the ground. The shocking incident took place during the quarter-final meeting between the two nations at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava, Slovakia, which England won 3-1 to book a semi-final meeting with Netherlands. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tempers got the better of players from the two teams shortly after the full-time whistle, with England's on-field celebrations apparently getting the Spaniards even more worked up. Among the players caught in battle were defender Charlie Cresswell, who had to be held back from Spanish striker and former Leeds teammate Mateo Joseph. More from Football On-field scuffle leads to red-card Napoli centre-back Rafa Marin was later shown the red card for his part on the scuffle even though he played no part in the game. Manchester City midfielder James McAtee, who scored the first goal of the game, also received a booking. Watch the incident unfold here: England through after beating Spain 3-1 in Trnava, and it seems it got a little too much for some at the end here. #EUROU21 — Josh Donaldson (@Josh_Don) June 21, 2025 'It was always going to happen because of the passion from both teams,' Liverpool's Harvey Elliott, who was also among the goalscorers, told Channel 4 after the match. 'It is one of those where I was trying to calm everyone down. End of the day, we have got everything to lose. 'They don't, they can get players sent off. We can't lose players for the semi-final,' the attacking midfielder added. Harvey Elliott scored as England booked their spot in the #U21EURO semi-finals 🎯 Jarell Quansah and Tyler Morton also featured in the 3-1 win over Spain 🙌 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 22, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Coaches from both teams and match officials had to get involved in order to separate the warring players. 'I think there are better ways to build camaraderie! But I think we had something similar in the final (two years ago),' England coach Lee Carsley said after the game. 'Emotions run very high and in those kinds of scenarios you don't want anyone to get sent off, anyone to throw a punch or get themselves in trouble,' he added. England are two matches away from winning back-to-back U-21 European titles, having won the previous edition in 2023. And incidentally, they had also defeated Spain, by a 1-0 margin, in the final of the previous edition.
