Eden Hazard has been one of Chelsea’s key players this season, and his blistering performances have caught the eye of people outside of Stamford Bridge.
Not only is the Belgian looking to be a shoe-in for the PFA Player Of The Year Award – an award voted on by members of the player’s union, the Professional Footballer’s Association – but he has also won the admiration of Real Madrid’s coach Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane, when asked about Eden Hazard’s play this season, said, “I like everything he does on the pitch…I like the way he carries himself. That decisive streak in him, and the fact that he’s improving every year”.
He also said that Hazard should be thought of in the same bracket as Messi and Ronaldo – players that are commonly considered to be the best in the world. Zidane said, “They’re fantastic players, but I like Hazard a lot too”.
This posturing from the Real Madrid camp is bound to set some bells ringing at Stamford Bridge, despite the fact that Hazard signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract at The Bridge in February.
Real Madrid have long had a tactic of releasing information to the press to the turn the head’s of potential targets, and it seems as though Eden Hazard is their latest target.
In the summer of 2013 Real Madrid angered the Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy by constantly making overtures towards the then Spurs player Gareth Bale. Quotes from people associated with the Spanish giants about how good Bale was and how well he’d fit into the system emerged in the press on a regular basis. By September 1st the Welshman had signed up with the Madrid team.
Having already won the League Cup and being well on their way to winning the League, neither Mourinho nor those in the Chelsea hierarchy will be overly concerned by Zidane’s comments. They will, however, be sure to keep a close eye on words emerging from the Bernabeu. Comments such as Zidane saying, “He can still get better…and I think he’s a big reason why Chelsea are top of the table” will ensure Mourinho keeps his ace winger as happy as possible.