Real Madrid: Why Eden Hazard has disappointed and what could be next

It’s a pity that Eden Hazard‘s dream move to Real Madrid has turned out to be a nightmare for the club and the Belgian. The 30-year-old was a signing that Zinedine Zidane had wanted ages ago and he was finally delivered in the summer of 2019.

Hazard also longed to play under his idol, Zidane. However, his dream to learn and play under the Frenchman has more or less remained a dream after incurring 12 injuries and missing approximately 60 games in just two seasons at the Spanish capital.

Under no circumstance would I mention Eden Hazard in the same sentence as Gareth Bale, however, the Belgian forward, in my opinion, is now another freeloader on the team like the Welshman.

Both of them put together, are two of the most expensive players that simply cannot be transferred to any club in Europe. They’re simply immovable, and this is an ugly situation to deal with amidst a pandemic with the club struggling financially.

Eden Hazard was not the signing Real Madrid needed in 2019

Yes, Eden Hazard was a monster in Chelsea and was one of the best performers in the Premier League for time immemorial. However, was the Belgian the signing that Real Madrid actually needed for their rebuild? No, and here’s why.

Hazard has had a rather clean slate in terms of his injury record before signing for Madrid. The only noticeable injury the Belgian had was an ankle injury in 2017 that kept him out for 80 days, however, he missed only three games as the new seasons had just started.

The issue with Eden Hazard has always been his casual approach towards fitness. He’s known to take long summer vacations and enjoy a life that probably Sergio Ramos or Cristiano Ronaldo would even think about while on vacation. He’s the type of player that would slowly transform his physical conditioning over the course of the season before firing all cylinders.

These wayward methods work when you’re young but catch up to you with time and age. His arrival at Real Madrid was clear evidence of how he loves a summer break after arriving overweight and completely out of shape.

There’s an excerpt from John Terry’s interview on Eden Hazard and how he was always a casual trainer but somehow delivered the final product on matchday due to his raw talent. John Obi Mikel even called the Belgian ” the laziest player” he has ever “played alongside” via an interview on Sky Sports.

"“Hazard is the prime example in that he was the worst trainer. He would have his laces undone, really relaxed,didn’t want to push.  He and Mourinho would have discussions on a daily basis,  ‘You need to work hard’ and he’d go ‘Boss, give me the ball Saturday and I’ll score three goals”"

What should Real Madrid do with Eden Hazard now?

Can Eden Hazard be easily sold this summer? No, it’s unlikely that offers would arrive for the 30-year-old due to his injury record over the past two seasons. As of now, selling Hazard seems impossible as most clubs already have their left-wing position settled.

The only hope would be that Eden Hazard performs like never before in the upcoming European Championship with Belgium. A good tournament with Belgium could possibly be a setting stone for Hazard to build his confidence and maybe turn it around next season at Real. However, if his bad luck with injuries continues, then, unfortunately, Real Madrid will be stuck with Eden Hazard right until his contract expires.  Another Gareth Bale situation in the making.

The only viable and possible option Los Blancos have at the moment is to wait. Wait for Eden Hazard to perform either at the Euros or at Real Madrid so that he can turn this around.