"Why Has Eden Hazard Flopped At Real Madrid"? Answered

In 2019, Real Madrid signed Eden Hazard for a club-record €115m. Since then, the winger recorded 7 goals and 11 assists in 72 matches (42 starts) for the club -- dictionary definition of a flop.

But how has the "Michael Jordan of football" failed so hard? We believe that there are 4 factors that have contributed to this.

1. Wrong fit from the start

Hazard is a player who likes to get the ball on the wing and then move centrally, going for the shot or the pass. Eden isn't your typical winger relentlessly sprinting up and down the field -- he prefers to be in possession.

That is why the Belgian was destined to struggle in a team with Karim Benzema. Since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, the Frenchman began being more involved in the build-up, leaving the running to the wingers. How then would you combine Benzema and Hazard when both want the ball at their feet?

In short, Eden needs an out-and-out striker to perform at his best, and Karim needs proper wingers to perform at his best.

2. Arrived overweight which gave the press plenty to talk about

Eden didn't hit the ground running in Spain and already pre-season he became the subject of scrutiny from the fans and media because he arrived overweight. Eden later confirmed that he had put up 5 extra kilos during the holiday.

Here's a picture of him during the pre-season tour in the USA. Doesn’t look like a hundred million athlete, does he?

While he managed to lose most of it before the start of the season, the damage had already been done as the press kept talking about it and fans were making memes out of it.

3. Injuries hit him from the off

Arriving out of shape, it was no big surprise when Hazard went on to miss the first three league games of the season with a hamstring injury.

The truly bad news followed in November, though, when the Belgian went out with a bone crack that would see him sidelined for 15 matches (67 days). And this was a player that had never missed more than 5 straight games for Chelsea.

Hazard returned to the pitch in February but it only took him two weeks to pick up another injury. Eventually, it became clear that Eden's problems became chronic, as the player has missed 71 games through injury since then (while playing 72).

4. No.7 pressure

The fans' expectations were incredible in 2019. Zinedine Zidane came back as the coach and Florentino Perez spent over €300 million on what seemed like another Galacticos project that Hazard was supposed to lead.

He was one of the best in the world at that time and the club rightfully stripped Mariano off the no.7 jersey to give it to Hazard.

The added pressure didn't help Eden, though. Instead of pushing him forward, it seems that the no.7 only brought anxiety and a sense of not being good fit enough to wear the iconic number.

Strength of character has never been Hazard's forte, so how was he going to overcome his injury struggles, the pressure from the fans and the club without the right mentality?

Source: Tribuna