Eden Hazard
Eden Michael Hazard (French
pronunciation: [edɛn azaʁ]; born 7 January 1991) is
a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Spanish
club Real
Madrid and captains the Belgium national team. Widely considered as
one of the best players in the world, Hazard is known for his creativity,
speed, acceleration, dribbling and passing.
Hazard is the son of two former footballers
and began his career in Belgium playing for local youth clubs. In 2005, he
moved to France, where he began his senior career with Ligue 1 club Lille. Hazard spent two years
in the club's academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November
2007. He went on to become an integral part of the Lille team under
manager Rudi
Garcia,
making over 190 appearances. In his first full season as a starter, he won
the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award, becoming the
first non-French player to win the award. In the 2009–10
season,
Hazard captured the award again, becoming the first player to win the award
twice. He was also named
to the Ligue 1 Team of the Year. In the 2010–11 season, he was a part of the
Lille team that won the league and cup double and, as a result of
his performances, was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, the youngest player to
win the award. Hazard was also
given the Bravo
Award by
Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo for his
performances during this season.
In June 2012 Hazard signed for English
club Chelsea; he won the UEFA Europa League in his first season
and the PFA Young Player of the Year in his second. In
the 2014–15 season, he helped Chelsea win
the League Cup and Premier League, earning him the FWA Footballer of the Year and the PFA Players' Player of the Year awards. Two years later he
won his second English league title as Chelsea won the 2016–17 Premier League. In
2018, he won the FA
Cup,
and was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI. He won the Europa
League again with Chelsea in June 2019, then joined Real Madrid in a transfer
worth up to €150 million.
Hazard is a Belgium international, having represented his
country at under-17 and under-19 level. Hazard made
his senior international debut in November 2008, aged 17, in a friendly match against Luxembourg. Nearly three years
after his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan in October 2011. He
has since earned over 100 caps and was a member of the Belgian squad which
reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2016. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he captained Belgium to
third place which was their best finish in history, receiving the Silver Ball as the second-best player of the
tournament.
Early life
Hazard was born in La Louvière and grew up
in Braine-le-Comte. His mother, Carine, and
father, Thierry, were both footballers. His father spent most of his career
at semi-professional level with La Louvière in the Belgian Second Division, playing mainly as
a defensive midfielder. His mother played
as a striker in the Belgian Women's First Division and stopped playing
when she was three months pregnant with Eden. After playing
football, both parents became sports teachers. Thierry retired
from his position in 2009 in order to devote more time to his children.
Hazard is the eldest of four children. He
has three brothers, all of whom play football, including Thorgan, who joined him at Chelsea in 2012 but then
moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2015 and further
to Borussia Dortmund in 2019. Thorgan had
previously progressed through the youth ranks of Lille's biggest rivals Lens. Hazard's other
younger brothers are Kylian and Ethan. On 15
July 2013, Kylian joined White Star Bruxelles, but then went on to
play for Hungarian side Újpest, before also joining
Chelsea, while Ethan remains
playing in the youth academy of Eden's former club Tubize.
Hazard and his three brothers were raised
in a comfortable environment with their parents ensuring they had whatever they
needed to excel. The family lived
"no more than three metres" from a football training ground and the
brothers often ventured onto a training pitch through a small hole in order to
hone and develop their skills. Growing up his idol
was French playmaker, Zinedine Zidane, with Hazard "watching
him on television and online for hours."
Club career
Early
career
Hazard began his football career playing
for hometown club Royal Stade Brainois at the age of four. During his time at
the club, one of his youth coaches described him as a "gifted"
player. He added: "He knew everything. I had nothing to teach him". Hazard spent eight
years at the club before moving to Tubize. While at Tubize, he was
spotted by a Lille scout while playing in a local tournament with the club. The
scout's subsequent report on the player prompted club officials to meet with
Hazard's father and offer the young player an aspirant (youth)
contract.
Hazard's parents accepted the offer from
Lille with hopes that the training facilities in France would be better. Hazard's father
later admitted that the decision to let Eden and, later Thorgan, join clubs in
the North of France was the best solution stating
"They remained so close to home and, at the same time, they integrated at
structures where they could grow, because in Belgium, unfortunately, it's a
little empty for the training of youth".
Lille
Hazard joined Lille in 2005 and spent two
years developing in the club's local sports school, due to its youth academy in
Luchin not being in operation at that time. On 28 May 2007, he
signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal with Lille. At the start of
the 2007–08
season,
at the age of 16, Hazard was promoted to the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level
of French football, though he still played with Lille's
under-18 team in its league and the Coupe Gambardella. Hazard made his amateur
debut on 1 September 2007 in a league match against Racing Club de France appearing as a
second-half substitute in a 3–1 defeat. He made his first
start a week later in the team's 1–0 defeat to Lesquin.
After spending the majority of October and
the early part of November playing with the club's under-18 team, on 14
November, due to several players being on international duty, Hazard was called
up to the senior team by manager Claude Puel to participate in a
friendly match against Belgian club Bruges on 16 November. He appeared as a
substitute in the match and, as a result of his performance, was included in
the 18-man squad to face Nancy in a league match
on 24 November. Hazard,
subsequently, made his professional debut in the match coming on as a
substitute in the 78th minute.
Hazard returned to the club's reserve team
and spent December playing with the squad. Following the winter break, Hazard
returned to the first team in January and made substitute appearances in three
league matches against Metz, Sochaux, and Paris Saint-Germain. Following the match
against Paris Saint-Germain, he was demoted back to an amateur level where he
played concurrently with the reserve team in the fourth division and the
under-18 team in the Coupe Gambardella. On 17 May 2008, he scored his first
amateur goal in a 3–2 victory over Vitré. Hazard finished his
amateur career with 11 appearances and one goal, helping the reserve team
finished in fifth place, which was first among professional clubs' reserve
teams playing in the group.
2008–10:
Debut season and individual success
For the 2008–09 season, Hazard was
given the number 26 shirt after playing with the number 33 shirt in
his debut season. He was also promoted to the senior team permanently by new
manager Rudi
Garcia.
Early on, he made substitute appearances regularly making his season debut as a
substitute on 14 September 2008 against Sochaux in a 1–1 draw. One of his
substitute appearances proved beneficial against Auxerre on 20 September.
With Lille trailing 2–1 in the waning minutes of the match, Hazard, after Lille
took a corner
kick,
quickly scooped up a short clearance from Auxerre and took a right-footed shot
just outside the box. It beat the keeper and drew the score 2–2 in the
88th minute. With Lille's confidence
high, the club won the match 3–2 in injury time following a goal
from Tulio
de Melo. Hazard's first
career goal resulted in him becoming the youngest goalscorer in the club's
history.
Four days after scoring his first
professional goal, Hazard made his first professional start in a 4–2 defeat
on penalties to Montpellier in the Coupe de la Ligue. After featuring as
a substitute in the team's next five league matches, on 15 November, Hazard
made his first professional league start against Saint-Étienne. He capped the appearance by scoring the
opening goal in the club's 3–0 victory. His assured
performances with the club resulted in Lille offering him a three-year contract
extension, which he agreed to on 18 November 2008, tying him to the club until
2012.
After featuring as a substitute in
December, Hazard returned to the starting lineup in January. On 23 January, he
scored the second goal in a 3–0 win over amateur club Dunkerque in Round of 32 of
the Coupe
de France. Two weeks later, he
scored the match-winning goal in a league match against Sochaux and, on 22
February assisted on the winner against Monaco. In the Round of 16
of the Coupe de France, Hazard netted a goal in a 3–2 win over the competition's defending champions Lyon. On 26 April, he
scored the opening goal against Marseille, though Lille lost the
match 2–1. In the final ten
league matches of the campaign, Hazard started eight and contributed to the
team finishing in fifth place, which resulted in Lille qualifying for the newly
created UEFA Europa League. After the season, he
was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year, becoming the first
international player to achieve the honour.
Eden is technically gifted and very fast. He will be a
major star in the future. I would take him to Real Madrid with my eyes
closed.
Following the 2008–09 season, constant
media speculation occurred in numerous countries regarding Hazard's
availability on the transfer market. Despite Lille chairman Michel Seydoux
declaring the player off-limits and Hazard stating that he wanted to remain at
the club for at least another season, several clubs declared interest in the
player. These included
English clubs Arsenal and Manchester United, Italian club Inter Milan, and Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. Frenchman Zinedine Zidane personally
recommended the player to the latter club.
Hazard began the 2009–10 season on a positive note
scoring in Lille's first competitive match of the season. The goal,
contributing to the team's 2–0 victory, came against Serbian club FK Sevojno in the first leg of
the club's third qualifying round match in the UEFA Europa League. On 27 August, he
scored his second career European goal in the club's
second leg tie in the playoff round against Belgian club Genk. It was Lille's final
goal in the club's 4–2 victory. The 6–3 aggregate
scoreline assured the club progression to the Europa League group stage.[citation needed]
On 22 October, Hazard scored a goal in
Lille's important 3–0 victory over Italian club Genoa in the
84th minute after entering as a substitute 10 minutes prior. Upon
receiving the ball on the left-wing, Hazard proceeded to dash through the
midfield dribbling past six Genoa defenders before finishing at the 18-yard
box. A month later,
Hazard was instrumental in Lille's 5–1 thrashing of Czech club Slavia Prague as he was partly
responsible for the opening goal – slicing through the defence and
delivering a cross near post, which went off Slavia player Marek Suchý resulting in
an own goal.
On 20 December, Hazard scored his first
league goal of the season in the club's 3–0 win over Le Mans. He also provided both the assists on the
other two goals. On 30 January,
Hazard scored the only goal in Lille's win over Derby du Nord rivals Lens. The victory helped
the club achieve stability in the league by keeping them in the UEFA Champions League places. It also
ended a disaster of a week which saw Lille suffer elimination from both of
France's cup competitions. Five days later, Hazard and Lille reached an
agreement on a contract extension, which will keep the player at the club until
2014. On 11 March, Hazard
scored the only goal in Lille's victory over English club Liverpool in the first leg of
the club's UEFA Europa League tie converting
a free kick in the 83rd minute. Three weeks later,
Hazard provided two assists in the club's 4–1 win over fellow title
contenders Montpellier. The two passes
brought his league tally to seven, tied for second in the league. For his impressive
displays in the month of March, Hazard was given the UNFP Player of the Month award.
On 29 April, Hazard was nominated for the
UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award. He was also
nominated, for the second consecutive season, for the Young Player of the Year
award. On 9 May, Hazard
was awarded the UNFP Young Player of the Year trophy for the second consecutive
season. He became the first player since its inception in 1994 to win the award
twice. Hazard lost out on
the Player of the Year award, which was awarded to Lyon striker Lisandro López.[citation needed]
2010–11:
League double, Ligue 1 Player of the Year and continued individual success
Hazard began the 2010–11 campaign as a starter
featuring in Lille's first six league matches of the season, as well as matches
in the UEFA Europa League. On 29 August 2010, he
scored his first goal of the season in a 1–1 draw with Nice. In late September,
Hazard began to struggle with inconsistency and was benched by Garcia in an
effort to "allow him (Hazard) to breathe and learn that his performances
were insufficient". Hazard,
subsequently, appeared as a substitute in the team's 2–1 defeat to Portuguese
club Sporting in the Europa
League and as a substitute in the next three league matches against Toulouse, Montpellier, and Lyon. Hazard later
admitted that his first bout of inconsistency affected him stating "The
first, two months was a bit tough. I wouldn't say that I began doubting my
abilities, but I definitely went through a really patchy spell".
On 7 October, Belgium national team
manager Georges
Leekens,
citing Hazard's recent spell on the bench at Lille, said that the player needed
to work harder, both physically and mentally, to regain his past year's form.
The team's assistant coach, Marc Wilmots, also stated that Hazard
often displayed a lazy mentality while training with the national team. Garcia responded to
Leekens comments the following day stating that he thought they were
"excessive" and that "Eden is only 19 years old" and can
still "make more progress in all areas." Following Belgium's
match against Kazakhstan, in which Hazard failed
to start or even appear on the substitute's bench, Leekens responded to
Garcia's comments declaring that he would stand by his previous comments and
that players must think about the team and not themselves. Hazard, himself,
later reflected on Leekens and Garcia comments in February 2011 stating "I
learned a lot during those few weeks, mentally speaking. And since then things
have got better. The national side has had a fair bit to do with that – I get a
lot out of being a part of it".
Following the international break, Hazard
recaptured his scoring form netting the final goal in Lille's 4–1 victory
over Caen in the Coupe de la Ligue on 27 October. Ten days later, he
scored his second league goal of the season in a 3–1 win against the league
table leaders Brest. On 21 November,
Hazard assisted one both Lille's goals in a 2–1 win over Monaco. The victory
continued the club's domestic unbeaten streak, which led to Lille topping the
league table following an emphatic 6–3 victory against Lorient on 5 December. At the turn of the
calendar year, Hazard scored in the team's first match against amateur
club Forbach in the Coupe de France. Lille won the match
3–1. In the team's
following match, he assisted on goals scored by Moussa Sow and Gervinho in a 2–0 league
victory over Nice.
On 19 January, Hazard scored the second
goal in a 3–0 victory over Nancy. On 4 March, Lille
officials confirmed that Hazard had added an extra year to his contract. The
new deal tied him to the club until 2015 and also made him the highest-paid the player in Ligue 1 beginning with the 2011–12 season. In his first match
after the news, Hazard scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–1 away win over
title rivals Marseille. The goal was scored
on a left-footed shot from almost 35 metres (38 yds) out and was clocked at
95 km/h (59 mph).
On 2 April, Hazard capped his 100th league
appearance with Lille by scoring the second goal in a 3–1 win over Caen. The goal tied his
career-high for goals in a season and also moved Lille eight points clear at
the top of the league table. For his
performances in the month of March, Hazard was named the UNFP Player of the
Month for the second time in his career. On 19 April, after
appearing as a first-half substitute, he scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–0
Coupe de France semi-final victory over Nice. The victory
inserted the club into the 2011 Coupe de France Final; the club's first
appearance in the competition's final since 1955. On 7 May, Hazard
converted a game-winning free-kick goal in the team's 1–0 win over Nancy. Three days later,
he was nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for the second
consecutive season.
In the Coupe de France final, Hazard played 89
minutes as Lille defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1–0 at the Stade de France. A week later, Lille
clinched the Ligue
1 title by
drawing 2–2 away to Paris Saint-Germain, achieving the club's first league
championship since the 1953–54 season and the club's
first double since the 1945–46 season. The domestic cup
and league title were the first two honours in Hazard's career. On the day
after Lille won the league, Hazard was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the
Year becoming the youngest player ever to win the award. He was also
rewarded with a place in the organization's Team of the Year for the second
consecutive season.
2011–12: The final season in France
Hazard taking a corner kick for Lille in 2011
Ahead of the 2011–12 season, Hazard switched to the
number 10 shirt. In Lille's first
competitive match of the season against Marseille in the 2011 Trophée des Champions, Hazard scored the
team's second goal, which put Lille up 2–0. Marseille would later come back to
win the match 5–4. On 20 August, in
the team's third league match of the season, Hazard assisted on Lille's opening
goal, scored by Benoît
Pedretti,
in a 2–1 win over Caen. A month later on 10
September, he scored two goals in a 3–1 away victory against Saint-Étienne. Fours days after,
Hazard made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 2–2 the group stage draws with Russian club CSKA Moscow.
In Lille's next league match following his
Champions League debut, he converted a penalty in a 2–2 draw with Sochaux. Three days after,
Hazard scored the equalizing goal in a 1–1 draw against Bordeaux. Against Turkish
outfit Trabzonspor on 27 September, he
assisted on Lille's only goal, scored by Moussa Sow, in a 1–1 draw. After going over
two months without scoring a league goal, on 3 December, Hazard came on as a
substitute and scored the match-winning goal in a win over Ajaccio converting a
penalty—described as an "Antonín
Panenka-style
chipped penalty". Two days later,
Hazard was among several players nominated for UEFA's Team of the Year for 2011
calendar year.
In Lille's final match before the winter
break, Hazard tied his career-high for league goals in a season by scoring the
team's third goal in a 4–4 draw with Nice.[112] After scoring the
goal, Hazard celebrated by paying tribute to Molami Bokoto, a former Lille
youth academy player who had died a day prior. In Lille's first
match following the 2011–12 winter break, Hazard scored his ninth goal of the
campaign in a 6–0 away win over amateur club Chantilly in the Coupe de France. In the following
month, Lille was defeated 2–0 by league rivals Marseille and eliminated from
both national cup competitions.
On 28 January, Hazard scored the team's
opening goal converting a penalty in a 3–0 win over Saint-Étienne. Two weeks later, he
converted a free-kick goal against Bordeaux. Lille had been trailing
4–1 prior to the goal and eventually recovered to draw the match at 4–4,
however, Bordeaux scored in injury time to secure a 5–4 win. On 3 March, Hazard
scored both team goals in a 2–2 draw with Auxerre.
On 18 March, Hazard scored a goal and
assisted on two others in a 4–0 win over local rivals Valenciennes. In Lille's next
match against Evian, Hazard converted a
penalty and assisted on a goal by Dimitri Payet in a 3–0 win. The following week,
on 1 April 2012, Hazard converted a first-half penalty and later assisted on
another Payet goal to cap a 2–1 victory over Toulouse.
On 15 April, Hazard marked his 100
consecutive Ligue 1 appearance, which to date, is the longest current run in
the French top flight, by scoring a goal and assisting on another in a 4–1 win
over Ajaccio. A week later,
Hazard scored another goal, this time in a 2–0 win over Dijon. On 29 April, in a
vital league fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, he converted his ninth penalty
of the season to draw the match at 1–1 cancelling out a goal from Javier Pastore. Hazard later
contributed to Lille's game-winning goal after delivering a rabona-style cross into the
box, which was laid onto the path of striker Nolan Roux who, subsequently,
converted the goal to give Lille a 2–1 win.
On 28 April, for the third consecutive
season, Hazard was nominated for the UNFP Player of the Year award. Two weeks later, he
was awarded the prestigious honour ahead of the likes of Olivier Giroud and Younès
Belhanda. After capturing the
award, Hazard became the second player in the awards' history after former
Paris Saint-Germain striker Pauleta to achieve the
honour in consecutive seasons. He was also
included in the Team of the Year for the third straight season. On 20 May,
Hazard appeared in his final match as a Lille player, coincidentally, against
Nancy, the club he made his professional debut against. In the match, Hazard
recorded his first professional hat-trick in a 4–1 win.
Chelsea
On 4 June 2012, Chelsea officially
confirmed on its website that the club had agreed on terms with Lille for the
transfer of Hazard. The midfielder agreed on personal terms with the club and
passed a medical examination. The transfer fee was reported to be priced at
£32 million.
Upon signing for Chelsea, Hazard told the
club's official website "I'm delighted to finally arrive here. It's a
wonderful club and I can't wait to get started". Hazard was given
the number 17, which was previously worn by José Bosingwa. On 18 July, Hazard
made his Chelsea debut in the club's first pre-season friendly against
the Seattle Sounders and played the
majority of the match, opening his Chelsea scoring account.[citation needed]
2012–13:
Debut season and the first trophy
Hazard preparing to take
a corner kick in September 2012
On 12 August 2012, Hazard made his competitive
debut for Chelsea in the 2012 FA Community Shield against Manchester City, which ended in a 3–2 defeat at Villa Park A week later, he
made his league debut against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium. In the contest, Hazard
provided the assist for Branislav Ivanović's opening goal and,
minutes later, won a penalty, which Frank Lampard converted, earning
his side a 2–0 victory. He made his Stamford Bridge debut in the team's
next fixture, against Reading on 22 August, he
won another penalty from which Lampard converted. Hazard also assisted on goals
by Gary
Cahill and
Branislav Ivanović as Chelsea won 4–2 at Stamford Bridge. Three days later,
Hazard scored his first goal as a Chelsea player in the team's league match
against Newcastle United after scoring a
penalty. Chelsea won the match 2–0.
Hazard made his Champions League debut for Chelsea
in the team's opening group stage game against Juventus. On 6 October, he
scored his second goal for Chelsea in a 4–1 win against Norwich City. During December, he
scored in back-to-back games, in a 5–1 away victory over Leeds United in the League Cup, and an 8–0 league
win against Aston Villa.
In January 2013, Hazard scored a goal with
his left-foot from 25 yards in Chelsea's 4–0 win over Stoke City, as Chelsea inflicted
the first home defeat of the season on Stoke.[150] He scored again in
the following game, with an impressive strike from the edge of the area in a
2–2 draw at home to Southampton.
I've said to him he has got absolutely everything. He's
only 22, he has the world at his feet and with the way he's playing and the ability he has on the ball, he is scaring the life out of people.
—Frank Lampard on the 22-year-old
Eden Hazard in March 2013.
On 23 January 2013, he was sent off in
the Football League Cup semi-final second
leg game against Swansea City for kicking a ball out from
underneath a ball
boy who
was lying on it in order to waste time. Chelsea went on to lose the tie 2–0. Thereafter, he told
Chelsea TV that he "apologised and the boy apologised" to each other. It was later
revealed that the 17-year-old ball boy had planned before the game to
deliberately waste time. On 9 February, he
scored on his return from suspension in a 4–1 win at home against Wigan Athletic.
On 21 February 2013, Hazard came on as a
substitute against Sparta Prague and scored an individual goal in stoppage time, to send Chelsea through to the last 16 on a
2–1 aggregate score. Again Hazard came
off the bench to make an impact for Chelsea, scoring a goal and providing an
assist to Ramires, as the Blues came back
from 2–0 down to salvage a 2–2 draw against Manchester United in the
quarter-finals of the FA
Cupon 10 March, setting up a replay at Stamford Bridge. On 17 March 2013,
Hazard put in a Man of the Match performance at Stamford Bridge in a 2–0
victory over West Ham United, assisting on Frank Lampard's 200th
Chelsea goal, then scoring a solo goal. On 11 May 2013, at
Villa Park, Hazard was the provider of Lampard's brace against Aston Villa,
which enabled Lampard to break Bobby Tambling's all-time goal scoring
record for Chelsea. However, an injury picked up in the same game ruled him out
of the 2013 UEFA Europa League Final. Hazard ended his
debut campaign at Chelsea with 13 goals in all competitions.[citation needed]
2013–15:
Premier League winner and individual success
One of Chelsea's first games of the season
was against Bayern Munich in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup, where Hazard played a
vital role in the buildup to the first goal and scored the second, but went on
to an eventual 5–4 defeat in the penalty shoot-out. In October 2013,
Hazard, as a substitute, scored the game-clinching goal in a 3–1 Premier League clash against Norwich City at Carrow Road, before scoring
twice and assisting Samuel Eto'o's first Chelsea goal in
a comprehensive defeat of Cardiff City in the same
competition. Hazard netted his the fifth goal of the season against Schalke in a crucial
0–3 Champions League Group
stage win. In October, Hazard
was part of the 23-man shortlist of players nominated for the prestigious FIFA Ballon d'Or, awarded to the player
who is voted the men's world footballer of the year?
Hazard playing
against Galatasaray in a UEFA Champions League match in February
2014
On 9 November 2013, Hazard created
Chelsea's first goal against West Bromwich Albion, which was scored
by Samuel
Eto'o.
Later in the match, Chelsea went 2–1 down, but Hazard scored a last-minute
penalty to clinch a point for his team. On 4 December 2013,
Hazard scored a brace in a 4–3 away victory over Sunderland, with coach José Mourinho claiming that
Hazard delivered his best performance of the season. Sunderland
manager Gus
Poyet also
praised Hazard for his individual impact on the game. Poyet said: "Eden
Hazard was outstanding. He was unplayable, as a manager, I haven't come up
against anyone like that."
I keep saying he has to improve. He needs to have his
feet on the ground. Ronaldo and Messi are Ronaldo and Messi. Eden Hazard is
probably the best young player in the world with legs to go there, but give him
time
—José Mourinho on the 23-year-old
Eden Hazard in February 2014.
On 26 December 2013, Hazard scored the only
goal in Chelsea's 1–0 victory over Swansea. In Chelsea's next
league match, Hazard scored a goal from 25 yards during Chelsea's 2–1 victory
over Liverpool. The following week,
Hazard scored the opening goal in Chelsea's 2–0 victory away to Hull City. After Hazard
maintained his excellent form in Chelsea's 1–0 victory over Manchester City at
the Etihad Stadium on 3 February 2014, Mourinho declared Hazard as the best
young footballer in the world. Hazard scored his
first Premier League hat-trick against Newcastle
United at Stamford Bridge on 8 February.
On 27 April 2014, Hazard won the PFA Young Player of the Year award and finished
as the runner-up to Luis Suárez for the PFA Player of the Year award for his fine
attacking performances under José Mourinho. After Chelsea's
Champions League exit against Atlético
Madrid,
Hazard claimed that Chelsea is only set up to counter-attack. Mourinho responded
by saying that Hazard "is not so mentally ready" to help his defence,
blaming him for the first goal scored by the opponents. In May 2014, Hazard
was voted Chelsea's Player of the Year in his second season at Stamford Bridge.
Upon Juan Mata's departure from the
club in January 2014, Hazard was handed the number 10 shirt for Chelsea ahead
of the 2014–15 season. On 5 October, he
won a penalty against Arsenal after being fouled by Laurent Koscielny and then converted it
himself past Wojciech Szczęsny to open a 2–0 the victory which made Chelsea the last unbeaten team in the league. In doing so, he
maintained his 100% penalty record out of 16 penalties. He also became the only
player in Europe who has taken more than 15 penalties and scored all of them.
Hazard playing against
Liverpool in the League Cup semi-finals in January 2015
His first goals of the Champions League campaign came on 21
October, netting from the penalty spot and from open play in a 6–0 home win
over Maribor. On 5 November, away
to the Slovene team, he earned an 85th-minute penalty but had it saved by Jasmin Handanović in a 1–1 draw. Hazard opened the
scoring in Chelsea's 2–0 win over Hull on 13 December, with the goal being only
the second headed one of his entire careers. The header came as
a surprised for many, even Mourinho, who stated: "That he scored in the
air, I was surprised. He jumps a lot but normally he closes his eyes. So I was
surprised, but very good goal."
On his day, nobody can stop him. He has such great
quality on the ball. He can create something from nothing and this is the sign
of a special player.
—Thierry Henry on the 24-year-old
Eden Hazard in March 2015.
On 12 February 2015, Hazard signed a new
five-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea. After signing,
Hazard said: "I've signed a new contract and I'm very happy because I'm
playing for one of the best clubs in the world." He played the full
90 minutes in the club's victory in the League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on 1 March, a 2–0
win over Tottenham.
On 18 April, Hazard scored the only goal in
a home win over Manchester United, after he latched on to
Oscar's backheel pass to score past David de Gea. He was voted Man of the
Match thereafter for his performance. As a result of
Hazard's impressive performances throughout the 2014–15 campaign, his manager
declared him "one of the top three players in the world". On 26 April, Hazard
was recognised as the best player of the season among his peers, winning
the PFA Player of the Year. A week later, he
scored the only goal as Chelsea defeated Crystal Palace to win their first
Premier League title since 2010. He won a penalty after being fouled by James McArthur, and took it himself, heading
in the rebound after it was saved by Julián Speroni.
On 26 May 2015, Hazard was voted as
Chelsea's Player of the Year for the second year
in a row. There are only four other players that have done it in the
past; Juan
Mata, Frank Lampard, Ray Wilkins, and John Hollins.
Hazard playing
against Dynamo
Kyiv in
the UEFA Champions League in October 2015
2015–16:
Year of scrutiny
Hazard endured a difficult start to
the 2015–16 season, missing a penalty in
the Champions League group
stage against Maccabi Tel Aviv. On 27 October, in
the fourth round of the League Cup away to Stoke, Hazard was the only player to
miss in Chelsea's penalty shootout elimination, his attempt being saved
by Jack
Butland. Hazard endured a
2,358-minute scoreless run across 30 matches until 31 January 2016, when he
scored from the penalty spot, his 50th goal for Chelsea in all competitions, in
a 5–1 win over Milton Keynes Dons in the fourth round
of the FA Cup.
In February 2016, Hazard was scrutinised
when he said it would "be difficult to say no" to a move to Paris Saint-Germain. He remained
scoreless in the league until 23 April, when he recorded two goals in a 4–1
victory at Bournemouth; after the result,
interim manager Guus
Hiddink insisted
that Hazard would remain at Chelsea by next season. For the second the consecutive campaign, Hazard scored the goal that decided the Premier League;
he came on as a substitute at home to Tottenham on 2 May and scored an equaliser
as Chelsea came from 2–0 down at half-time to draw. The result meant Leicester City won the title at Tottenham's expense. On 11 May 2016,
Hazard scored his fourth and final league goal of the season against Liverpool,
although Chelsea was unable to hold on to the lead, with fellow
countryman Christian Benteke scoring in extra
time as the match finished in a 1–1 draw.
2016–19:
Premier League winner and first FA Cup win
On 15 August 2016, in Chelsea's opening
Premier League match of the season, Hazard scored a penalty in a 2–1 win
over West Ham United. Hazard recorded a
total of 81 touches throughout the game, and his performance earned him the Man
of the Match. On 27 August,
Hazard contributed another Man of the Match display in the 3–0 victory
over Burnley, scoring the opener in
the ninth minute. After voting ended
on 5 September, Hazard received the most votes from the public poll, 41%, for
the Premier League Player of the Month award although Raheem Sterling was later named the
Player of the Month by a Premier League panel.
Hazard during a Premier
League game against West Bromwich Albion in December 2016
On 15 October 2016, Hazard, along
with Diego
Costa dedicated
their goals to Willian, whose mother had died
earlier that week, in the 3–0 victory over the champions, Leicester City.[209] On 23 October, he
scored his fourth goal of the season in a 4–0 win over former Chelsea manager,
José Mourinho's Manchester United, equalling the number of
league goals he managed in the previous season. Hazard continued
his excellent form, scoring the first goal and assisting the second in
Chelsea's 2–0 win over Southampton on 30 October. This
marked the first time that he had scored in three consecutive Premier League
games.[211] His run of form
continued into the next match as he scored two goals and assisted another in
Chelsea's 5–0 win against Everton at Stamford Bridge
on 5 November. Hazard's performance against Everton earned him another Man of
the Match award, his third in a row in the Premier League. On 18 November
2016, Hazard was named the Premier League Player of the Month for October. On 26 December
2016, Hazard led the Blues to their twelfth consecutive league victory, a new
club record, in the 3–0 victory over Bournemouth. He also converted a penalty for his 50th
Premier League goal, making him the sixth Chelsea player to achieve this feat. On 20 April 2017,
Hazard was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the fourth time
in his five seasons at Chelsea. Two days later, he
scored after coming on as a substitute in Chelsea's 4–2 FA
Cup semi-final
victory over rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium.
Hazard playing
against Newcastle
United in
the FA Cup in January 2018
At the beginning of the summer, Hazard
suffered an ankle injury in training during international duty. The injury ruled
him out for 6 to 8 weeks; missing the entire preseason and the Premier League
opener. On 25 August 2017,
Hazard returned to action, playing 75 minutes for the Chelsea U23 side. On 28 October 2017,
Hazard scored his first league goal of the season in a 1–0 win against
Bournemouth in the Premier League. On 3 January 2018,
Hazard scored in a 2–2 draw with rivals Arsenal. Two goals
against Brighton & Hove Albion on 20 January made
it 100 league goals in his career. Hazard's double helped Chelsea to a 4–0 win
at Falmer
Stadium. On 12 February,
Hazard scored a double in a 3–0 win over West Bromwich Albion.
In the 2018 FA Cup Final on 19 May, Hazard
entered Manchester United's penalty area, where he was fouled by defender Phil Jones with a sliding
tackle. Hazard took the penalty kick, sending it low to the right past United
goalkeeper David
de Gea for
the only goal of the game.
2018–19: The final season in England
Hazard wearing his Europa League winners medal in May 2019
Hazard scored on his first start of
the 2018–19 season, converting a penalty in
a 2–1 win against Newcastle United on 26 August. On 15 September,
Hazard scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 win over Cardiff City. He came off the
bench to give Chelsea a 2–1 come-from-behind win over Liverpool in the third round
of the EFL
Cup at
Anfield on 26 September. It was his sixth goal in seven appearances to start
the season. In the next
fixture, against Liverpool in the Premier League, he made it seven goals
in eight games, opening the scoring in a 1–1 draw at Stamford Bridge. On 16 December,
Hazard scored and assisted a goal for Pedro as Chelsea won 2–1
away to Brighton & Hove Albion in the league, before coming off the bench
to send Chelsea through to the EFL Cup semi-final at the expense of Bournemouth
three days later. He scored both
goals in a 2–1 Boxing Day win against Watford at Vicarage Road, the first of which was
his 100th Blues and 150th career club goal.
On 9 May, Hazard scored the decisive penalty
in a 4–3 shootout win over Eintracht Frankfurt at Stamford Bridge
to send Chelsea to the Europa League Final. His tally of 15
assists for the 2018–19 Premier League season saw him win
the Premier League's Playmaker of the Season award. On 29 May, Chelsea
won the Europa League following a 4–1 win
over Arsenal in the final, in which Hazard scored
twice, also assisting Pedro's goal. After the match,
Hazard suggested that it probably was the last time he had played for the club.
Real
Madrid
On 7 June 2019, La Liga club Real Madrid announced on their
website that Hazard would be signing for them for the 2019–20 season. He signed a contract
until 30 June 2024 for an initially reported fee of approximately
€100 million, which may arise to €146.1 million due to additional fees
and will be earning an expected £400,000 per week. Hazard was formally
unveiled in front of 50,000 fans on 13 June 2019 at the Santiago Bernabéu. Hazard became Real
Madrid's most expensive player after Gareth Bale who was signed for
€101 million in 2013. Should any of the variables be met, Hazard would
then become Madrid's most expensive player in their history. Hazard was
presented at the Bernabéu without a number on his jersey, just like Luka Jović a day earlier.
Hazard has been wearing the number 10 jersey for both Chelsea and Belgium for a
number of years but admitted in his press conference that he had asked Luka Modrić for the jersey
number at Real Madrid but Modrić refused to give it away. Nearly two months
later, Real Madrid confirmed on their website that Hazard will wear the
legendary number 7 at Los Blancos, like club legends Cristiano Ronaldo, Raúl González and Emilio Butragueño.
Upon signing with Real Madrid, Hazard spoke
to the media "I've dreamt about this since I was little, I always
supported Real Madrid. Then I went to France and England and wearing this shirt
now is a true honour." He also described Zinedine Zidane as a defining
factor in his move to Real Madrid because he has always been an admirer of him.
"Everyone knows that Zidane was my idol and now he's my coach, he's been
an important factor. But I've always wanted to play for this club," Hazard
said. When asked whether he thought he could become the best player on the
planet at his new club, Hazard admitted that it is part of his aspirations,
saying "I will try to be the best in the world, yes. But first, I want us
to be the best team and winning titles. It's a new challenge for me and I'm
prepared for it."
On 6 August, Hazard scored his first Real
Madrid goal which came in a 1–0 friendly win over RB Salzburg. In the last
training session before Real Madrid's first match of the season against Celta Vigo, Hazard suffered a thigh
injury which delayed his competitive debut. He made his debut
on 14 September 2019, coming on as a substitute in a 3–2 victory over Levante in La
Liga at
the Bernabeu. On 5 October,
Hazard scored his first competitive goal for Los Blancos, right before half
time against Granada in his first home
league start. In the second half, he also got his first assist which was to
Modrić in an eventual 4–2 victory. On 22 October,
Hazard assisted Toni
Kroos'
winner away to Galatasaray in a narrow 1–0 win
in the Champions League group stage which was Real
Madrid's first win of the European campaign after just one point from the
opening two matches. On 26 November,
Hazard suffered an ankle injury against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions
League group stage after a rash challenge by Belgium teammate Thomas Meunier. He was unable to
continue and was substituted moments later. Meunier publicly
apologized about the incident and tried to greet his Belgium Captain in the
Real Madrid locker room after the match.[249] A day later, Real
Madrid's medical team suggested the ankle injury was 'an external bruise'
subject to keep Hazard on the sideline for just 10 days. But, one week later
further tests by the medical team claimed he suffered an 'incomplete external
microfracture' in his right ankle with no set return date. Hazard went on to
miss 16 Real Madrid matches across four competitions, which included the
first El
Clásico of
the season, the Supercopa de España victory in Jeddah and the Copa del Rey elimination to Sociedad.
On 16 February Hazard made his long-awaited
return from injury and started against Celta Vigo in La Liga. He earned a
penalty after being fouled by Celta's goalkeeper Rubén Blanco in the area, which Sergio Ramos converted to make
it 2–1 to the hosts. Hazard went off to a standing ovation in the 73rd minute. Six days later, he
suffered a broken ankle during Real Madrid's 1–0 defeat against Levante. The
striker was forced off the field in the second half.
International career
Youth
Hazard played for various Belgian national
youth teams, such as the under-17 and under-19 teams. With the
under-17 team, he was a regular in the team making 17 appearances and scoring
two goals. He played with the team in the Toto Cup, a yearly international
youth tournament held in Austria and, also, played in the 2007 UEFA European
Under-17 Football Championship, which Belgium hosted. In the tournament,
Hazard scored his only goal in the team's opening match against the Netherlands converting a
penalty in a 2–2 draw The match was a
homecoming for Hazard, as it was played in Tubize, where he spent part of his
youth career. Throughout the
tournament, Hazard impressed media and coaches, which led to many in Belgium
comparing him to Belgian football legend Enzo Scifo.
Belgium suffered elimination in the
semi-finals of the competition, losing to Spain 7–6 on penalties.
Belgium was minutes away from a victory, courtesy of an own goal from David
Rochela, which Hazard was particularly instrumental in, however, Barcelona striker Bojan Krkić equalized for his
nation to send the match into extra time. Due to finishing in
third place at the tournament, Belgium qualified for the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup, held in South Korea.
Hazard was selected to participate and played in all three group stage matches,
where Belgium was eliminated.[citation needed]
After playing at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in
August and September 2007, Hazard began earning call-ups to the under-19 team
the following month in October. His first appearance came in a 2008 UEFA European
Under-19 Football Championship qualification match against Romania coming on as a
substitute in a 4–0 victory. He subsequently
played in the next two group stage matches against Iceland and England. Belgium lost both
matches. The negative
results eliminated the country from the tournament. Due to being an underage
player the previous year, Hazard was eligible for the under-19 team for the
2008–09 season. Due to his growing participation with Lille's first team,
Hazard was only allowed to play in 2009 UEFA European
Under-19 Football Championship qualification matches by his club
and, as a result, missed the 2008 edition of the Milk Cup, which was held during
Lille's preseason.[citation needed]
On 7 October 2008, Hazard scored his first
under-19 goal in the team's 5–0 victory over Estonia. Three days later,
he scored a double in a 2–2 draw with Croatia. In the Elite Round, Hazard led the team in
goals scoring three. In the opening match against the Republic of Ireland, he scored the lone
goal. In the next match,
Hazard was influential in the team's 5–0 thrashing of Sweden scoring a goal and
assisting on two others. In the team's final
match, they faced Switzerland. Belgium needed an
outright victory to progress to the 2009 UEFA European
Under-19 Football Championship, but were eliminated from qualifying after
drawing 1–1 with the Swiss, despite Hazard opening the scoring for Belgium in
the 21st minute.
Early
senior
On 18 November 2008, Hazard was called up
to the Belgium senior team, for the first time, by
manager René Vandereycken for the team's
match against Luxembourg. Prior to making his
national team debut with Belgium, Hazard was courted by French Football Federation officials who sought
the player to play for the France national team as he had become
eligible for French citizenship. Hazard did not respond to the courtship and
later stated "Because of my presence in France for seven years, I feel 99%
Belgian and 1% French, but the idea of French citizenship has never crossed my
mind".
Hazard made his highly anticipated debut
for Belgium in the match against Luxembourg coming on as a substitute in the
67th minute for Wesley Sonck.[272] On his debut,
Hazard became the eighth youngest international player in Belgian football
history, at 17 years and 316 days. On 12 August 2009,
after three consecutive substitute appearances with the team, he made his first
start under coach Franky Vercauteren in the team's
3–1 friendly loss to the Czech Republic. Following the
resignation of Vercauteren, he was replaced with manager Dick Advocaat. Under Advocaat, Hazard
became a starter in the team and, on 14 November 2009, played a full match for
the first time in his international career. In the match, which was played
against Hungary, Hazard assisted on two
goals in a 3–0 win.[citation needed]
In May 2010, Advocaat was replaced as
manager by Georges
Leekens.
After featuring as a starter in Leekens first three matches in charge, Hazard
began appearing as a substitute for Belgium during the 2010–11 season. Leekens
justified his benching of Hazard citing the players' domestic performance,
which had been underwhelming at the time, while also admitting that Hazard
displayed a lack of desire in training with the national team and often
neglected his defensive duties during international matches. After appearing as
a substitute in two straight matches, Hazard returned to the starting lineup
for the team's November 2010 friendly match against Russia. In the match, which
Belgium won 2–0, Hazard assisted on the team's opening goal scored by Romelu Lukaku.
After featuring as a starter in the team's
1–1 draw with Finland in February 2011,
Hazard was relegated back to the substitute's bench for the team's important
March 2011 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches as Leekens
preferred Nacer
Chadli and Mousa Dembélé on the wings. In the team's 29
March qualifier against Azerbaijan, he appeared as a
second-half substitute and assisted on the team's final goal in a 4–1 win. Following the
matches, French media began questioning why Hazard was struggling to be
appreciated in his home country, while, at the same time, was being praised in
France. Marc Wilmots,
assistant coach of the national team responded to the media reports stating
"Some people only see Eden's qualities" and "the French press
is sometimes blinded by his moments of magic".
In Belgium's next competitive match
against Turkey on 3 June 2011,
Hazard started the match but was substituted out after 60 minutes.
Disappointed with his performance and substitution, the midfielder retired to
the locker room and was later spotted on television outside the stadium with
his family eating a hamburger while the match was
still ongoing. Following the the episode, which has become known as Burgergate in Belgium, Hazard apologized
for the defection, while Leekens attributed Hazard's response to the
substitution as "a young player making a mistake".
On 4 August, Leekens announced that Hazard
would be disciplined for his actions during the Turkey match and, as a result,
would miss the team's 10 August friendly match against Slovenia, as well as the team's
Euro qualifying return match against Azerbaijan on 2 September and friendly
against the United States four days later. On 9 August,
Hazard's management group issued a press release to the Belgian media. The
release detailed Hazard's actions during the Turkey match criticized the
player's three-match suspension, as well as questioned Leekens constant
criticism of Hazard. On 25 August, it
was announced that Leekens had lifted Hazard's suspension and the midfielder
was subsequently named in the team to play the September fixtures. Leekens decided to
lift the suspension after having a meeting with Hazard that was organized by
the player's agent.
On 7 October 2011, nearly three years after
his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan in a 4–1 victory. The victory
inserted Belgium into second-place position in its group in qualifying
for UEFA
Euro 2012 with
the team needing a victory over Gerany on 11 October to
secure a place in the qualifying playoffs. In the match
against Germany, Hazard played the entire match as Belgium failed to earn a
place in the European Championship, losing 3–1 in Düsseldorf.
2014
World Cup and Euro 2016
Hazard made nine appearances in the Red
Devils' successful 2014 World Cup
qualification campaign,
scoring twice. The first of these
came on 22 March against the Republic of Macedonia at the Philip II Arena, converting a penalty to
conclude a 2–0 win after being fouled by Aleksandar Lazevski. Three days later in
the reverse fixture, he beat two defenders before scoring the only goal of the
game.
On 13 May 2014, Hazard was named in
Belgium's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He assisted Dries Mertens' winning goal in the
team's first game of the tournament, a 2–1 win against Algeria in Belo Horizonte. In Belgium's second
match, he assisted Divock Origi's 88th-minute goal,
giving the Red Devils a 1–0 win over Russia and qualifying them
for the knockout stage, eventually reaching
the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Argentina.
On 7 June 2015, due to the suspension of
regular skipper Vincent Kompany, Hazard captained
Belgium for the first time in a friendly against France at the Stade de France, scoring a penalty for
Belgium's final goal in a 4–3 victory. He won another
penalty in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match on 3
September when fouled by Bosnia and Herzegovina's Ognjen Vranješ, and converted it past
his Chelsea clubmate Asmir Begović to conclude
Belgium's 3–1 comeback victory. Three days later,
he finished Mertens' cross with four minutes remaining, for the only goal in an
away win over Cyprus. On 10 October,
Hazard scored a spot-kick again after Óscar Sonejee's handball, in a 4–1 win
over Andorra which sealed
Belgium's qualification to the continental championship for the first time
since co-hosting UEFA Euro 2000.
Due to the absence of Kompany, Hazard was
named captain of Belgium for the UEFA Euro 2016 finals. He scored a solo
goal against Hungary in the last 16,
before Belgium was eliminated by Wales in the
quarter-finals. Alongside Aaron Ramsey, he finished as the top
assist provider of the tournament with four assists.
2018
World Cup
Appointed Belgium captain for the 2018 World Cup, Hazard led his nation to third place, the
best finish in their history.
Hazard was appointed captain of Belgium for
the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[307] In the first game
against Panama, he assisted the third
goal of the match scored by Lukaku as Belgium won 3–0. He then scored
twice (which included a penalty) in their second group stage victory
against Tunisia. His penalty goal in the
6th minute was the team's second quickest goal in the history of the
tournament. Hazard was also
selected the Man-of-the-match after his
impressive performance against Tunisia. In the final group
match, Hazard did not play in Belgium's 1–0 victory over England as he,
together with eight other starters in the previous two matches, was rested by
Roberto Martinez. In Belgium's 3–2
victory over Japan in the last 16,
Hazard was instrumental in mounting a comeback from a two-goal deficit as
Belgium became the first team in 52 years to come back from 0–2 down to win a
World Cup knockout match. For his second
consecutive game, Hazard was once again voted the Man of the match by FIFA
sponsors, Budweiser.
Hazard was again in scintillating form in the
quarter-finals as he helped lead Belgium to its second World Cup semi-final in
their history with a 2–1 victory over five-time champions Brazil. In that game, Hazard
set a World Cup record for successful dribbles completed in any
World Cup game since 1966, with a 100% success rate in ten dribbles. In the semi-finals,
which was a tight game, Belgium were defeated by eventual champions France 1–0
courtesy of Frenchman Samuel Umtiti's header and France's
subsequent deep defence. On 14 July,
Hazard's third man of the match performance ensured victory for Belgium with
his goal in the 82nd minute in a 2–0 victory against England in their third-place play-off, his nation's best ever
World Cup finish.
At the end of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 15
July the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) selected Hazard as the second-best
player of the tournament, awarding him the Silver Ball. In addition to his
dribbling, he scored three goals and provided two assists in total, as well as
being selected the Man of the match on three different occasions – more than
any other player.
Euro
2020
Hazard made his 100th cap for Belgium
during the Euro 2020 qualifiers in a 2–0 away win
against Cyprus in March 2019, scoring the second goal in that match. Hazard captained
Belgium to become the first team to qualify for the tournament.
Style of play
Hazard taking on
the Norwich City defence for Chelsea in October 2012
Hazard primarily plays as either an attacking midfielder or a winger and has been
credited as being "possibly the outstanding talent in Europe right
now". At Lille under
former manager Rudi Garcia, Hazard often played in the latter role in the
team's 4–3–3 formation and regularly switched flanks because he could use both
feet. Following the departures of fellow playmakers Yohan Cabaye and Gervinho in 2011, during the
2011–12 season, Garcia played Hazard in a creative role as a central attacking
midfielder, while also allowing the player to roam back onto the wing if
necessary. Two of Hazard's most common exemplary traits are his pace and technical
ability,
which have been described as "astonishing" and
"mesmerizing". His speed,
acceleration, and dribbling skills, combined with his creativity, as well as his
flair, balance, agility, and low centre of gravity, courtesy of his diminutive
stature (1.73 m/5 feet 8 inches), allow him to retain
possession, take on defenders, and beat opponents in one on one situations.
At Chelsea, Hazard matured into a world-class player and was primarily utilised as a left midfielder, a position which
enables him to cut into the centre and strike on goal with his stronger right
foot. His development
into one of the world's best players was highlighted in the 2014–15 Season; during this season he
won multiple awards and received praise
from pundits and manager alike. Manager Jose Mourinho praised Hazard, saying
that "He is already a top player and his evolution has been fantastic. He
is still very young and he can become the best player in the world." Hazard's former
teammate and Lille captain Rio Mavuba described Hazard as
"a great player, with immense talent. He's actually not that big, but
he's so fast. He's also very difficult to dispossess and his finishing is top-notch". Hazard's
frequent goal celebration saw him sliding on
his knees; since 2018 he has stayed on his feet. Although Hazard's
favoured role is as a left-winger, he is a versatile attacker, and has also been
deployed as a second striker, as a lone striker, or even as a false-9 on occasion
throughout his career. Beyond his speed,
creativity, technical skills, and offensive qualities, he is also an
accurate penalty and free-kick taker.
Reception
Acclaimed for his
dribbling, creativity and ball retention skills, the FIFA website regards
Hazard as being "difficult to dispossess."
Hazard's pace, coupled with his finishing
and ability to retain possession led to his former coach Claude Puel dubbing him
"little Messi", in reference to
the Barcelona player. Puel's sentiments
were later echoed by former Marseille manager and media personality Rolland Courbis who commented
"At times it looks to me like Lionel Messi on the right-hand side". Hazard's
"flair and tricky" style of play has been described as being similar
to Real
Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo; a comparison later
repeated by former French international Christophe Dugarry. His vision,
described as being the trait he has improved on the most, coupled with his
passing has also allowed him to develop into an effective playmaker and assist
provider, which in turn,
combined with his finishing ability, enables him to both score and create
goals.
In Belgium, Hazard's talent and similar
ascension up the country's football hierarchy has led to comparisons to former
Belgian international Enzo Scifo. Both players share
the same birthplace and Scifo himself spent time with Hazard while he was in
Tubize admitting "Eden, you know, I've coached in Tubize. During the week,
I took care of the young people at least once, and he, in those days, I
immediately saw he had a secure future".
However, despite the positive opinions,
Hazard has endured criticism from some. In 2010, former Belgium national team
manager Georges Leekens questioned Hazard's work-rate. Lille youth academy
director Jean-Michel Vandamme countered both managers' criticism by arguing
that Hazard simply possesses an intellectual honesty that is out of the
ordinary and unexpected of today's footballer declaring "He is a real
competitor, not a cheat, nor a moaner because you don't hear him complaining
when he gets fouled".
Outside football
Personal
life
Hazard is married to Natacha Van Honecker.
On 19 December 2010, it was reported that she had given birth to a baby boy,
Yannis. She gave birth to their second son, Leo, in February 2013, and a third son,
Samy, in September 2015.
Sponsorship
In 2012, Hazard signed a sponsorship deal
with sportswear and equipment supplier, Nike. He appeared in an
advert for the Nike Green Speed II alongside Mario Götze, Theo Walcott, Raheem Sterling, Christian Eriksen and Stephan El Shaarawy in November 2012.
Hazard features on the cover of EA Sports' FIFA video game FIFA 15 in Belgium, the UK,
the Netherlands and France, along with Lionel Messi. Hazard, Marco Reus, James
Rodríguez and Anthony Martial were announced as
the official ambassadors of the game and were the finalists to be the new face
of FIFA 17. Hazard was named
the new face of the franchise in 2019 – taking over from Cristiano Ronaldo – appearing as the
cover star of the regular edition of FIFA 20.
Since March 2016, Hazard has been appearing
in adverts for Belgium-based Lotus Bakeries promoting their
Biscoff biscuit range. The advert shows him successfully taking a free-kick, sending a ball into a
gap in 10,000 cups.
Club
ownership
On 26 June 2017, Hazard became a part-owner
of expansion North American Soccer League franchise San Diego 1904 FC to begin to play in
2018, alongside Demba
Ba, Yohan Cabaye and Moussa Sow.
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