Real Madrid’s interest in Eden hazard had for a long time been one of soccer’s worst kept secrets, but Eden Hazard took an unprecedented step in casting a dark cloud over his Chelsea future.Hazard’s willingness to depart Chelsea was a novelty. “It might be time to try something different … you all know my preferred destination,” he said.
But the good news for Chelsea is that good players have arrived, and Hazard has noticed. “It’s not so different from the past,” he said “The big difference is we bring two players — Jorginho and Kovacic — and they are completely different.” Considering his humble, modest personality, the phrase “completely different” might accurately be translated as “a lot better.”
At the time, safe money was on Hazard donning the famous white strip before the window closed. After all, few can resist the lure of the Bernabeu. But fast forward 53 days and Hazard remains a Chelsea player. There is of course considerable uncertainty surrounding the Belgian’s contract situation, but events since the World Cup suggest there is far less cause for concern than optimism.
And this damning verdict from the club’s prized asset can only have added considerable weight to the case for replacing Conte with Maurizio Sarri, a manager renowned for his exciting, progressive Sarrismo. In just four games, a philosophy that is almost tailor-made for Hazard’s skill set has emerged, and the Belgian appears to be relishing it.
Rather than living off snippets of possession and long balls, Hazard is operating as the focal point of a team boasting remarkable possession statistics — 73 percent against Bournemouth and a staggering 81 percent against Newcastle. For Hazard, a man that likes “to have the ball, not in my own half, but in the last 30 meters,” this is a new and exciting luxury that he makes no attempt to hide; “I like this type of game, it’s completely different from Antonio Conte or Mourinho before.”
