It was not long ago that Eden Hazard announced his retirement from the beautiful game. The world lamented the steep downfall of the player, who at one point was considered the one of best players in the game, but accepted his decision as a personal choice.
The Belgian is now totally free from the shackles of club and international commitments. Yet, he took to the field one week after announcing his retirement as the captain of Varietes Club de France in a charity game last night.
Speaking to the media after the game, he elaborated on the reason why he opted to call it quits from professional football.
“I always said that I would stop playing as soon as I no longer had fun on the field,” he stated, as quoted by AS.
Hazard also went on to add that, beyond a point, he stopped enjoying playing the game on the field amidst the pressure and attention.
“I spent difficult years at Real Madrid, I always said I would stop when I was no longer having fun. And I stopped having fun training. And besides, I didn’t play.
“The decision was simple, and I can say that I played for Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world. I didn’t want to go play anywhere for money.”
As Thibaut Courtois said in a recent interview, it is a shame that the magical winger’s career took such a steep fall, Yet, one must respect Hazard for all he has done for the beautiful game, especially during his time at Chelsea.
The Belgian’s spell at Real Madrid was largely forgettable, for he never really got going at the Spanish capital. From arriving overweight on his first day to the vicious cycle of injuries, Hazard soon sank into oblivion at the club.
He did win it all at the club, but not in the manner he would have wished to have.
