Eden Hazard was viewed as being in the tier below Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at his peak
Eden Hazard was viewed as being in the tier below Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at his peak
Chelsea legend Eden Hazard has revealed that he turned down advice from former manager Maurizio Sarri to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo's lifestyle practices. The retired Belgian playmaker was one of the world's best players in his pomp, earning comparisons to the greatest players in the history of English football.
Hazard spoke to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, stating that Sarri approached him during the 2018-19 season at Chelsea and spoke to him about emulating Cristiano Ronaldo. He said that he turned down the advice of the Italian tactician as he preferred not to deny himself of certain enjoyments.
"Yes, but I told him I didn't want to. I've never gone too far, but I've always wanted to be Hazard on and off the pitch. If my friends invited me to dinner, I wouldn't say no, and if I wanted a drink, I wouldn't deny myself. Cristiano is Cristiano, I am Hazard. I just wanted to be myself and play football", he said (via GOAL).
Maurizio Sarri coached Hazard for one season at Stamford Bridge and the Belgian thrived under his tutelage, earning his dream move to Real Madrid. He took Cristiano Ronaldo's number seven shirt but failed to replicate his Chelsea form due to injuries.
Eden Hazard called time on his career in 2023 aged just 32 after struggling to play consistently with his fitness challenges. He shared during and after his career that his priority was to enjoy himself on the pitch, and he spent the bulk of his career enjoying his football.
Ex-Chelsea star completes transfer despite Cristiano Ronaldo intervention
Former Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante has completed a move from Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad to Fenerbahce. The Frenchman has joined the Turkish giants despite Cristiano Ronaldo holding up the transfer at a point.
Ronaldo was unhappy with the transfer dealings among the Public Investment Fund (PIF)-owned clubs in the Saudi Pro League and embarked on a strike. His action stemmed particularly from Al-Ittihad selling Karim Benzema to rivals Al-Hilal, and this paused the club's transfer business momentarily.
Kante was in talks over a move to Fenerbahce but saw his move pause also because of the developments involving Ronaldo. The ex-Chelsea man has now completed his move to the Turkish outfit, with Morocco international Youssef En-Nesyri moving in the opposite direction. Turkiye president Recep Tayyip Erdogan was said to have played an important role in ensuring that the transfer went through.