Zidane laments Hazard’s Real flop, Brussels welcomes French stars

At the busy press conference for the match against Belgium, held in Madrid, Zinedine Zidane spoke candidly about the Belgian football icon Eden Hazard. He emphasized that he still lives in the same neighbourhood and meets the former player now and then.

Zidane’s regret over Hazard’s Real‑time

The former Ballon d'Or winner, who made a great name for himself at Real Madrid both as a player and as a coach, recalled how he welcomed Hazard from Chelsea to the Spanish club in 2019. Hazard, who had a dominant period in the Premier League, came with the Red Devils to a brilliant World Cup.

Zidane declared: “I’m sorry that we never saw the Eden of Chelsea at Real. He had some ailments. A pity for him.” The quote was cited on Sunday.

Hazard played 76 matches for Real Madrid over four years, scored seven goals and provided twelve assists. Injuries, however, hampered him, preventing him from ever reaching his best level.

In the summer of 2023 Hazard left the Royal and on 10 October 2023 definitively put an end to his Real adventure. His period in Madrid overshadows the last years of his career, while his Premier League glory remains undisputed.

Brussels may receive a pack of French stars on Monday, but the biggest, as the text suggests, may be Zinedine Zidane, who still shows sympathy for one of Belgium’s greatest talents.