Eden Hazard told Maurizio Sarri no after one request at Chelsea

Eden Hazard thrived under Maurizio Sarri during their time together at Chelsea.

They only worked with each other for one season, with Hazard joining Real Madrid at the end of the 2018/19 campaign, while Sarri returned to Italy to manage Juventus.

However, during the one year Hazard and Sarri spent together, they managed to win the Europa League.

Whenever Boehly pulls the trigger on Rosenior, who are YOU hiring? 😤

Terry would love Fabregas…

All in all, the pair had a good relationship yet did not agree on everything.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates a win during the ceremony after the UEFA Nations League final

Photo by Mikolaj Barbanell/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Eden Hazard told Maurizio Sarri he wouldn’t imitate Cristiano Ronaldo’s lifestyle

In an exclusive interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Hazard revealed that Sarri asked him to be more like Cristiano Ronaldo and replicate the Portuguese forward’s lifestyle.

Hazard, though, was not on board with the suggestion and plainly told his manager no.

“I told him I didn’t want to,” Hazard explained. “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.”

Despite not taking Sarri’s advice, Hazard still managed to have an excellent season and not just because Chelsea went on to win European silverware.

Individually, it was a brilliant campaign for the Belgian, who put up some very good numbers.

Today, it is the likes of Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro spearheading Chelsea’s attack. Hazard recently picked Palmer when asked to choose between him and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka.

Eden Hazard of Chelsea speaks with manager Maurizio Sarri

Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Getty Images

Maurizio Sarri still got the best out of Eden Hazard

Statistically, Hazard had his best season in a Chelsea shirt under Sarri, who used him as a left winger and striker.

In the 52 games that the Chelsea legend played, he scored 21 goals and provided 17 assists. Those numbers fall short of what Ronaldo used to accomplish in his prime but are still very good.

Out of all of the attackers currently playing for Chelsea, Palmer is the only one capable of getting anywhere close to the above. In fact, he actually surpassed Hazard’s number of goal involvements in the 2018/19 campaign in his very first season at Stamford Bridge.

Who had the better individual season? 🔥

Eden Hazard's 2018/19 stats and Cole Palmer's 2023/24 stats at Chelsea

Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images/Clive Rose

Injuries have limited his impact this term, but like Hazard was during his time in England, Palmer is one of the most dangerous forwards in the Premier League.

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