After achieving legendary status at Chelsea, Eden Hazard made his dream move to Real Madrid in 2019 as the Bernabeu continued their search for Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement. It is safe to say that Hazard has been playing well below the mighty expectations of Madridistas since the player has been struggling with multiple injuries and fitness.
From winning the Premier League with Chelsea to sitting on the bench throughout the El Clasico, Hazard has had a huge fall from grace. This season, Hazard hasn’t played in a single Champions League fixture and has only had 4 starting lineup appearances out of the 9 games played by Real Madrid in La Liga.
Carlo Ancelotti says he prefers other players over Eden Hazard at the moment 👀 pic.twitter.com/1OpEfsQGT5
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 27, 2021
When asked about the Belgian, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti simply stated that the player is fit to play but he just prefers to play other players before him. Don Carlo being so vocal about the player’s situation makes us wonder how Hazard’s transfer to Real Madrid has turned into a headache for both the player and the club.
REAL MADRID HAS A NEW STAR
Vinicius Jr also joined Real Madrid after Ronaldo left and it seems like he has unlocked his potential and is in explosive form this season. Vinicius has already scored 7 goals and 3 assists so far this season and has turned into a fan favourite especially after helping them win the El Clasico in fine fettle.
With Vinicius’s growing popularity, Ancelotti is bound to play him instead of Hazard. Real Madrid are doing well both domestically and in Europe which gives Ancelotti no reason to change his system and starting eleven. The younger players have been flying high over the last couple of seasons which leaves no place for Eden Hazard in the squad even when he is fit enough to play the 90.
A COSTLY MISTAKE
La Liga has a rigid financial regulation system that the Spanish clubs have to abide by which has caused chaos for Barcelona right now. Real Madrid too are facing issues in spending freely because of those financial rules which is why it is important for the club to invest wisely and only get players they are certainly going to play often.
Eden Hazard reportedly has a weekly wage of 416,000 pounds which makes him the second-highest earner at Real Madrid after Gareth Bale. Madrid also had to spend around 100 Million on the transfer fee for Hazard. Hazard takes up a major chunk out of their wage bill which is not letting them add more players to their squad without breaking the FFP and La Liga regulations.
The decision to get Eden Hazard was not only costly for Madrid but not even worth it. They aren’t even playing him in major matches and it is safe to say that Eden Hazard has been disastrous for Real Madrid.
LEGACY IN TATTERS
Eden Hazard was widely accepted as one of the best footballers in the world during his spell in Chelsea but his world-class status has fallen into tatters after his rut at Real Madrid. The player has been constantly out of contention due to injuries. In his first season itself, Hazard went through 3 major injuries which ruled him out of the season almost entirely. Last season was also similar for Hazard as he was only seen in 16 games across all competitions.
The sheer inconsistency in his fitness has demoralised the fans and Hazard has been losing a lot of public support which is extremely important at a club like Real Madrid. Gareth Bale who was once their star winger had a short spell of bad form and since then he has been shamed by Madrid supporters for all kinds of reasons. Hazard too have met with a similar fate at the Bernabeu and this is surely going to be a blot in his rich legacy of a career.
Real Madrid have been trying to sell Hazard but have failed in their attempts since Hazard hasn’t been consistently playing over the last couple of seasons. Hazard now has to maintain his fitness and make the most out of every minute he gets on the pitch since he can at least try and attract interest from other clubs by next summer. The player is only 30 years old which means he has plenty of time to move to a different club and revive his career and go down in the history books on a positive note.