“It’s a Shame”- Eden Hazard on Failing to Replace Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid

Published 02/19/2024, 1:49 AM EST

Things never went their way for Eden Hazard at Real Madrid. Despite being backed as an ideal replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, fate seemed to have other plans, as the Belgian international’s time with the La Liga side ended rather underwhelmingly. While Los Blancos’ fanbase might not have moved on from his poor stint at the Santiago Bernabeu, Hazard himself expressed remorse for failing to ‘bring a smile to the faces of Real Madrid fans.’

This heart-pouring revelation came in the 11th episode of The Obi One Podcast. Host Chris McHardy asked Hazard if there was any kind of pressure on him when he arrived in the Spanish capital as Ronaldo’s replacement. While insisting that it wasn’t exactly the case, he just felt ‘pity‘ that things didn’t go his way. “Real Madrid was my dream club. I remember that in my first game of the season, I was injured. So I went to the VIP box. I was watching the game and thought, ‘This stage is for me,'” he said while expressing his sadness. Although Hazard did his best to move on from his unlucky time at Madrid, he still felt guilty for not living up to the expectations of his fans.

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“When I quit football, it was not like regret because these things happen. But it’s just a shame that I didn’t bring a smile to the faces of the Real Madrid fans,” he concluded. Indeed, this is quite a surprise revelation from the former Chelsea star. Notably, throughout his time at Madrid from 2019 to 2023, Hazard made just 76 appearances across all competitions and registered just 7 goals and 12 assists. Additionally, while Florentino Perez and Co. bought the winger as Ronaldo’s replacement, Hazard vocally claimed that he used to follow the gameplay of Lionel Messi.

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Despite being Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement, Eden Hazard was inspired by Lionel Messi’s style of playing

During the podcast, the GOAT debate made its way, which led Eden Hazard to make a bold claim. While choosing Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo, he said, “Messi is the one if you talk about football. But then people, they have different opinion. Ronaldo is the GOAT to score goals, bring trophies to the team.” The praise didn’t end there.

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While acknowledging that the beautiful game is more than just scoring goals, he heaped praise on CR7’s longevity. “Look at him now; he’s 39. He’s gonna score goals till 50. But me, my style of playing is Messi,” concluded the ex-Belgian skipper. It looks like the GOAT debate is settled for Hazard, which is going to stir a fuss in the soccer world.

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Written by:

Abhishek Mishra is a senior Soccer Writer at EssentiallySports. His early exposure to playing soccer earned him many accolades at college divisions, making him a sports enthusiast. While closely following daily updates for over a decade, Abhishek is well-versed in European soccer and now the MLS, as well.

Edited by:

Jayant Chhabra

“It’s a Shame”- Eden Hazard on Failing to Replace Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid

Despite being Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement, Eden Hazard was inspired by Lionel Messi’s style of playing

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