Eden Hazard has reflected on his ill-fated transfer to Real Madrid.
The Belgian, renowned as one of the Premier League’s greatest wingers, moved from Chelsea in 2019 for a club-record fee of £89 million, but he struggled to meet the high expectations.
Famous for his ability to dominate games and lead his team to titles, Hazard earned a stellar reputation in England. ..Continue Reading
However, his stint at Real Madrid was less successful. He made only 76 appearances under Carlo Ancelotti, scoring seven goals and providing 12 assists, before retiring at the relatively young age of 32.
Injuries played a significant role in his struggles, as Hazard never seemed able to maintain his fitness during his time in Madrid.
At 34, Hazard recently opened up about the challenges he faced at his “dream club” in a candid interview.
“It was my dream club”, Hazard admitted about Real Madrid in a recent interview uploaded to Reddit.
“I think I was a bit unlucky [with the time I arrived] with COVID. If you wanna know the real story, I went to Dallas for surgery, and then I came back to Madrid, it was COVID.”
“Two months or two-and-a-half months, I was home alone with no physio to do the rehab. If I could choose one thing to change, I’d have called the doctor to get a physio, because when COVID finished, I pushed my body like crazy, but my ankle wasn’t the same, and then I break everything the season after.”
Hazard featured in 245 Premier League matches for Chelsea, where he directly influenced 139 goals. During his peak seasons in 2014/15 and 2018/19, he won two league titles and was named Player of the Season twice.
However, in his four-year stint with Real Madrid, the Belgian missed more than 70 games due to injuries.
Consequently, he retired in 2023, with his tenure in Spain often cited as one of football’s most disappointing transfers.
Nonetheless, those who saw him at his best would firmly argue in favor of his enduring legacy.
