Hazard in English means danger, although it can also take the meaning of obstacle. With those two words, the career of could be summarized Eden Hazard, who went from being one of the most decisive attackers in the history of the Premier to becoming a legend ruined by injuries.
Get ready to relive the best and worst of the career of the Belgian goblin, a star who managed to eat at the table of the best players in the world, but who ended up becoming due to his apathy and bad fortune the most ruinous signing in history.
The beginnings of Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard he was born on January 7, 1991, in La Louvière, a town in the Belgian province of Hainaut. Hazard grew up in one of the most football-loving environments and had Zidane as an idol. His father, Thierry, was a defensive midfielder on a semi-professional team, while his mother, Carine, played professionally in the Belgian League. The Hazard family is linked to football since both Eden, his brothers Thorgan and Kylian, and Ethan, also ended up being footballers.
When I was four years old, Eden Hazard he started playing for his city team, Royal Stade Brainois, although at 12, he joined the Tubize. This club was affiliated with Lille OSC, so after seeing the talent of that Belgian striker, they signed him for their youth team. The Hazard family moved to France, and in the "Los Mastines" youth team, he finished training as a footballer.
Debut with Lille
The talent of that Belgian teenager seemed out of the ordinary, so he only had to spend two years in the club's academy for him to end up playing in the first division. His official debut in Ligue 1 occurred in 2007, when at just 16 years old, he played against Nancy.
In the following campaign, Hazard alternated his participation in the reserve team with the professional team, and for 2008-2009, he made the definitive jump to the first team. Rudy Garcia he gave him the starting job, and Hazard responded by scoring his first goal as a professional. The Belgian winger scored 6 goals and gave 4 assists in 35 games. He was named as the "Best Young Player of the Year," and he established himself as a local idol.
His dribbling and audacity caught the attention of several European clubs, allowing him to debut for Belgium. The French team also wanted to call him up, but Hazard chose to play for the country where he was born. In 2009-2010, Hazard doubled his numbers and became a huge player. His dribbling and dribbling were incredible, but his coaches blamed him for his lack of consistency and lack of maturity. In fact, Hazard has a curious anecdote with the Belgian team, when after being substituted, he left the bench to leave the stadium and eat a hamburger. According to the footballer, "the salsa of that burger was his favorite," and that was what made him commit something stupid that cost him his non-call for the next two games.
League and Cup Champion
Its definitive explosion occurred in 2011, when it became the Best Player in Ligue 1, and he managed to win a historic double with Lille. In that historic season, Hazard scored 12 goals and gave away 14 assists in all competitions, which helped him win the French League with an 8-point advantage and win the Cup title against PSG.
Hazard became a French league sensation alongside Gervinho and Cabaye, but instead of looking for a team, he decided to stay in France to play in the Champions League with Lille. The French team finished last in the group stage, although they once again enjoyed the best hazard. Eden came out scoring 22 goals and giving 22 assists, repeating as the best player in the French League and qualifying Lille for the second year in a row for the Champions League.
The Belgian's quality was already unsustainable, so Lille had to accept his transfer to Chelsea. Hazard said goodbye to his fans by beating Ajaccio 4-1, in a duel where legend says that he came hungover and managed to score the first hat-trick of his career. After playing 194 games, scoring 50 goals and giving 53 assists with Lille, Hazard headed to England to sign for the last European Champion.
Signing for Chelsea
The blues paid 32 million euros, and Eden arrived in London wanting to vindicate herself. His beginnings were not easy, and the lack of adaptation took its toll on him. In January 2013, he was widely criticized for kicking a Swansea ball boy who was losing time, but that expulsion helped him mature and return stronger. Chelsea disappointed their fans by falling in the first phase of the Champions League, but Hazard and the blues regrouped by winning the Europa League title.
Premier League MVP
Hazard managed to score 13 goals and distribute 21 assists in his first season, but he improved his scoring performance each season. He scored 17 in the 13-14 and was instrumental in winning the Premier League and the 2015 League Cup. Under Mourinho's direction, the Belgian became the Blues' main offensive weapon, scoring 19 goals and scoring 12 assists to be considered the best player of the season in England.
His growth as a footballer was also reflected in the Belgian national team, with which he reached the quarterfinals in the 2014 World Cup, and with which he reached the same instances in the Euro 2016. Hazard became the star of the best Belgian generation in history, and together with colleagues like Lukaku, Kompany, Courtois, or Kevin de Bruyne, he managed to return the Red Dethe international elite.
In 2015-2016, Chelsea had a terrible campaign, and Hazard greatly reduced his performance. The Belgian winger was one of the most talented players in the world, but in training, he didn't give his all.
Another Premier with Conte
At 25 years old, Hazard was in the key stretch of his career, and the arrival of Antonio Conte once again boosted his career. The Belgian "10" led the Blues on their way to the Premier title, scoring 16 goals and completing 5 assists throughout the domestic season.
After celebrating his second English League, Hazard suffered an ankle injury in the summer of 2017, which prevented him from starting the preseason with his team. After almost two months out, Eden rejoined the group, but like all his teammates, he had a disappointing season. Chelsea finished fifth in the championship, and Hazard finished the season with just 6 goals and 7 assists in his locker. The Belgian made up his team's course by scoring in the English Cup final, where the Blues beat United 1-0 and lifted the only title of the season.
World Cup Russia 2018
Hazard finished the course with good taste in his mouth and attended the World Cup in Russia with the ambition of crowning the Belgian gold generation. As captain of his country, the "10" became one of the stars of the tournament and, after completing a pristine first phase, guided Belgium to the semifinals of the World Cup. After overcoming Japan's 0-2 lead in the round of 16, the Red Devils managed to eliminate Brazil in an unforgettable match in which Hazard came out against the Five-time World Champions
France left Belgium without a final, but Hazard managed to put the cherry on top of his great championship by scoring the 2-0 victory against England in the bronze medal duel. The Belgians achieved the best World Cup qualification in their history and, after scoring 3 goals and giving 2 assists, Hazard was named the second best player of the tournament behind Luka Modric.
Europa League Champion (2019)
After the World Cup Hazard maintained his good form and, with Maurizio Sarri on the Chelsea bench, reached the best moment of his sporting career. The Belgian "10" assumed responsibility for his team's attack, and with his speed and dribbling, he scored incredible goals. One of the most remembered is the one he scored against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, in a marvelous play where he exhibited his best qualities.
The Belgian completed the season by scoring 21 goals and giving away 17 assists, resulting in a key piece in Chelsea's only title that season. The Blues finished third in the Premier League but won a new continental title after winning the Europa League. In the final against Arsenal Hazard showed all his talent and shone brighter than ever, scoring two goals and giving another assist. The Belgian was awarded as the best player in the final and the entire tournament, and decided that it was the best time to take another step in his career.
Signing for Real Madrid
Real Madrid wanted his signing and, after 7 seasons in London, 6 titles, more than 300 games and 100 goals with the blue shirt, Hazard decided to accept the call of the idol of his childhood. Zidane believed that the Belgian was the star that the white team needed, and Florentino Pérez invested 115 million euros in his signing. Eden inherited the historic number "7" that Cristiano Ronaldo had worn, and the expectations of the merengue fans were high.
The injury that ruined his career
The Belgian star began scoring in his preseason debut against Salzburg, but an injury did not allow him to make his official debut until the following month. Hazard was adding minutes and regaining form, but when he was recovering his level of play, he suffered the injury that ended his career. On November 26, 2019, Hazard was driving PSG's defense crazy in a match in the first phase of the Champions League until his teammate Meunier made a tough tackle that fractured his ankle
The player was out for more than two months due to that mishap, but after returning to the playing fields, he had to leave the field for one fissure in the fibula. Hazard had to have surgery and be out for another 3 months, but when he wanted to return, the coronavirus pandemic arrived.
Football resumed in the summer, but Hazard no longer looked like the same player who had started the season. His game was no longer as electric as before, and the press and fans continually questioned his form. Despite their bad season, Real Madrid won the League title and was confident in the recovery of their top star for the following season.
Hazard began the 20-21 season with muscle injuries and soon became infected with Covid. Absences prevented him from getting in shape, and his battered ankle caused a chronic ailment that did not allow him to play with ease.
After a long recovery period to heal the ankle, the 2021-22 season began with good feelings. Ancelotti gave him the title in the first days, but the explosion of Vinicius, he ended up relegating him to the bench. Real Madrid won the League and the Champions League that season, but his participation was merely testimonial. Playing 23 games and scoring only one goal.
World Cup 2022
In his fourth season in white, Hazard wanted to vindicate himself, and the Qatar World Cup 2022 it presented itself as the perfect occasion. The Belgian captain started the World Cup as the undisputed starter, but after two discreet games, he ended up being a substitute. Belgium was eliminated by Morocco and Croatia in the first phase, and after that bad image, Hazard announced his international withdrawal. After 14 years of playing with his country's shirt, the Belgian legend closed a stage in which he scored 33 goals in 126 games.
Withdrawal
The World Cup showed the poor form of Hazard, who completed his last year playing 10 games for Real Madrid. The Belgian had another year left on his contract, but after his sad background and having the highest salary in the squad, he agreed to terminate his contract with the merengue management.
The Belgian player left the White House without pain or glory and with the most regrettable numbers of his entire career. In his 4 seasons in Spain, he could not play in any Clásico. He participated in 76 games and only managed to score 7 goals and give 9 assists.
The Belgian footballer had the opportunity to vindicate himself in another league, but after not signing for any club in the summer market, he decided to hang up his boots permanently.
In his entire career, Hazard won the biggest titles at club level, and he scored 200 goals throughout his career. Eden left football under the anonymity of inconsequentiality and said goodbye among the memes and nostalgia of being another withered legend, halfway between apathy and injuries.