Eden Hazard has said he is not done yet with football after his Real Madrid exit. The former Chelsea winger is now rumored to join a Belgian club this summer.
Hazard confirmed his exit from Real Madrid this summer despite having one more year left on his contract. He has also previously announced his retirement from international football after a disastrous 2022 World Cup campaign with Belgium.
With the player now left without a club, many believe that the former Chelsea winger is ready to hang up his boots. A horrible stint with Madrid along with his various health and form issues has left many to think about whether the former magician has what it takes to continue in competitive football.
Is Eden Hazard moving to Racing White Daring de Molenbeek?
Yesterday, Belgium played a 1-1 draw with Austria as part of their Euro 2024 qualifiers. There Eden Hazard was also present in the stands, supporting his former teammates.
The beloved Belgian superstar was given a guard of honor and made a full lap of the stadium in a mini car where he received love from his fans.
Belgium players and supporters are saying goodbye to Eden Hazard, who retired from international football after the World Cup.
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) June 17, 2023
3️⃣3️⃣ goals in 126 caps for his country.
Not too shabby!#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/BPS2gNVEQE
In an interview with Belgian news outlet RTBF, he was asked about whether he plans to get back into football. But he had no definite answer yet.
“Honestly, I don’t know yet. After three complicated years, I just want to spend time with my family, go on vacation, like everyone. We’ve read a lot of stuff in the last few days, and a lot of nonsense.” The Belgian also poked fun at his former stint with Real Madrid in a witty remark.
“I still feel capable of being a professional footballer, but at the same time, I’ve been resting for two or three years. I still have a bit of energy!”
Eden Hazard was resting at Real Madrid 😬 pic.twitter.com/lpVAy8vere
— GOAL (@goal) June 18, 2023
It is said that Hazard has attracted interest from many Belgian and MLS clubs. One of the most linked clubs with Hazard is Racing White Daring de Molenbeek. The club is newly promoted in the Belgian Pro League and is very little known.
According to L’Equipe, one of Hazard’s brothers Kylian Hazard plays for that club. It is a big reason why he could join the club this summer. Also, he will not have high expectations there compared to Madrid or Chelsea. As a result, he can enjoy the last years of his career.
Why did the former Chelsea winger flop at Real Madrid?
The former Chelsea superstar decided to move to Real Madrid as a higher calling of his career in 2019 for an expensive fee of £ 103.5 million. But long spells of injury along with fitness issues due to the player’s lack of seriousness in training and unhealthy habits led to him not performing like he used to do.
With only 7 goals and 11 assists in very few games across four seasons, Hazard has fallen from grace. The skillful winger that used to demolish defenses in the Premier League is now a bench warmer at Real Madrid. He has scored only one goal in six appearances this season, and in the previous season when Madrid won three important trophies, Hazard had a goalless campaign.
The meteoric rise of Vinicius Junior, along with the likes of Rodrygo, and Marco Asensio in the team, also mean that his place in the starting eleven is not secured anymore. Eventually, he lost favor with manager Carlo Ancelotti who regularly kept him on the bench.
Hazard may yet decide to retire this summer, but there is no doubt that the former Chelsea magician can return to his previous magic tricks if given the chance.
