As a long-time football fan, I’m well-versed with turbulent emotions. As a long-time Arsenal fan, however, I have special expertise in dealing with a very particular heartbreak and betrayal associated with the untimely departure of players who commanded a piece of my heart before casually, carelessly stomping on every bit of available tissue as they walked out into the sunset.
So, when Robin van Persie, captain of Arsenal Football Club, posted his open letter to fans about the little boy inside him, I swore that I wouldn’t get fervently attached anymore, letting yet another player disturb my mental and emotional equilibrium. The universe giggled and presented me with the newest Arsenal arrival that summer.
From his debut, a man-of-the-match winning performance against Sunderland, it was obvious that Santiago “Santi” Cazorla González was special, the quintessential diminutive Spanish midfielder in a generation defined by them.
This isn’t a piece about that.
It’s a piece about why, beyond his undoubted quality, he’s special to me. Forget nostalgia or sentimentality; this is an appreciation of a genius and the impact he continues to have in the life of this football fan. It’s a tribute while we’re still able to enjoy his magic on the pitch, his defiance in the face of seemingly insurmountable conditions, than once he inevitably hangs up his boots.