2023-10-11 04:10:00
Eden Hazard of Real Madrid during training (REUTERS / Molly Darlington)
“You have to know how to listen to yourself and say enough at the right moment. “After 16 years of career and more than 700 games played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer.” This is how the statement that Eden Hazard shared through his social networks began, where he reported his decision to hang up his boots at 32 years of age. The Belgian footballer has been one of the great players of recent times. So much so, that in 2019 he was nominated for the Ballon d’Or. But, there was one thing that marked his entire career, especially during his time with Real Madrid: his poor performance.
The Belgian had not been in top form for a long time and much longer without appearing in a starting eleven. Furthermore, following the end of last season, the white club decided to terminate his contract earlier than expected, leaving the player without a team, given that there was no club interested in signing him either. For this reason, the forward has decided to make the decision and leave the playing fields, in what might be called an early retirement at 32 years old. However, Eden Hazard one day rubbed shoulders with the best players in the world, one day he exuded quality and skill on all sides.
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He began his career in the youth ranks of French club Lille, a team with which he debuted at the age of 16 and with which he became champion of the French league in 2011. This caused many scouts to focus on him, but in the end it was Chelsea who he signed him. For seven seasons, the Belgian grew as a professional. He played a total of 352 games, scored 110 goals and gave 92 assists. That is to say, the Belgian became a benchmark for the Blues. His shots from outside the area, his footwork and speed with which he managed to elude and surpass defenders, his ball control and his kilometric passes to the foot, are some of the quality details with which he delighted the fans who They went to the stands of Stamford Bridge to support Chelsea.
A performance that helped them win two Premier Leagues, a League Cup, an FA CUP and two Europa Leagues. In addition, he was part of the Belgian national team in its golden era, where he even managed to achieve third place in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Eden Hazard’s name was heard around the world. Everyone knew who the Belgian who played for Chelsea was. And soon, everyone wanted to sign him. Many teams were interested in him, but only one got him. Real Madrid needed a star to replace the one who had just left their squad: Cristiano Ronaldo. With these, Hazard landed at the Santiago Bernabéu in 2019 to fill the gap left by the Portuguese. However, his star status did not last long.
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After arriving in Madrid, things began to go wrong for the forward, although he was one of the 30 nominated for the Ballon d’Or, but he did not win the award. Injury following injury and substitution following substitution. He didn’t fit in with the team. When it seemed that the annoyances had disappeared, a new one arrived. And the demands at the white club, where he aspires to win everything, are very high, as some players who have been through the Real Madrid squad have recognized. Injuries and the high demands of the club led Eden Hazard to go through the seasons without pain or glory.
Few goals, few assists, few starts. There was not a single drop of the Eden Hazard that shined at Chelsea. But, it was not just a matter of injuries and the white club that would determine his fate, but also his laziness. John Obi Mikel, Hazard’s former teammate at the Blues, claims that he might have been the best footballer in history, “he had everything” for it. He “was right behind Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But only if he wanted to.” However, he stated: “When we were training, he would wait for us standing until we finished. He is the laziest player, but then on Sundays he was always the best in the game. He was amazing.”
His little interest in training led him to a loop of substitutions mixed with injuries from which he was no longer able to get out no matter how hard he tried, or so he promised the Merengue fans. But it might not be. Finally, the best possible alternative for his future has been to hang up his boots. Now, as he explained, he will dedicate himself to “enjoying his loved ones and having new experiences.”
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