Arsenal: Santi Cazorla Omission From Euros A Blessing?

Arsenal have numerous players at the Euros. However, Santi Cazorla will not appear for Spain this summer, and Arsenal fans should be happy about that.

Sure. As a club soccer fan, you might want to hear that all of your club’s players have made it onto their respective national squads. Not only does playing on the international stage give players a chance for more improvement; it can also instill vital experience in players.

Over the years, for example, we’ve seen Jack Wilshere grow into a capable defensive midfielder for England, and we’ve also witnessed Germans Mertesacker and Ozil being truly tested in big moments – like in the 2014 World Cup in which Germany prevailed.

These types of gained experience can be vital for any football player. However, playing on the international stage – especially in arduous summer tournaments – opens up the door for looming problems to strike against any footballer.

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Remember how long it took Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker to physically recover after the 2014 World Cup?

Though both Germans resumed playing for the Gunners by late August of 2014, they simply weren’t playing up to previous standards, and Arsenal suffered because of it. In fact, the North London side couldn’t even manage to string three consecutive EPL wins together in the first half of the 2014/15 season.

During this time, Ozil managed a measly two assists for his club and ended up injured for a large part of it (espnfc.us). And we all have come to know and love the form he’s been in ever since his recovery in 2015.

Likewise, Mertesacker and the rest of the Arsenal back line only managed five EPL clean sheets then (espnfc.us), yet the side managed eight in the second half of the campaign (squawka.com).

Moreover, Per even described himself as being in a “World Cup hangover” during the six months following the World Cup (espnfc.us).

"“Most of the players got injured, I avoided that but didn’t play at my best… It was very difficult to find the form and the fitness because we hadn’t had that preseason and the season was already being played when we just started. From my experience, it (the recovery) took half a year. – Per Mertesacker"

Clearly, big summer tournaments of the international stage can put extreme ‘wear and tear’ on footballers, and that is why Santi Cazorla’s omission from Spain’s Euro 2016 side is a blessing for Arsenal.

This past season serves as great proof of this. Cazorla missed out on 5 months of Arsenal football over the course of the season, and Arsenal’s capitulation in the second half of the term can partly be blamed on the Spaniard’s absence. Flamini, Ramsey, and Elneny simply couldn’t provide enough for Arsenal alongside Francis Coquelin. No one of these three locked down a truly consistent starting spot in the middle.

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And although Cazorla didn’t even manage to score once during his time on the pitch, it was warming to see him do what he does best – seemingly effortlessly skip around opposing players with the ball at his feet and efficiently distribute the ball from defense to attack – in his rather new, deeper-lying position in the heart of the midfield.

Next: Ozil Proves Arsenal would be Mad to Sack Wenger

Thus, though you normally want to see the players of the club you support out on the pitch making a difference for their national squads, one must admit that playing on the international stage in the summer can have largely negative implications come club season. Santi Cazorla’s absence in Spain’s side this summer could end up being great for Arsenal’s 2016/17 season.

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