Real Oviedo Earns La Liga Return After 24 Years

Real Oviedo has secured promotion to La Liga for the first time in 24 years after a dramatic 3-2 aggregate victory over Mirandes in the promotion playoff final, with 40-year-old Santi Cazorla, a former Arsenal and Spain midfielder, playing a pivotal role by scoring in both the semi-final and second leg of the final. The club, which nearly went out of business in 2012, was saved when fans and former players, including Cazorla, bought shares to keep it afloat. Oviedo overturned a first-leg deficit, with crucial goals and tactical adjustments by coach Veljko Paunovic. Cazorla rejoined his boyhood team in 2023, agreeing to a minimum salary to support them financially. Jubilant fans stormed the pitch at Estadio Carlos Tartiere at the final whistle, celebrating the club’s historic achievement. The promotion is seen as a fairytale return for both Oviedo and Cazorla.