Eden Hazard: three years after his departure, the raw truth about his injuries at Real Madrid | OneFootball

The Belgian opens up

Eden Hazard: three years after his departure, the raw truth about his injuries at Real Madrid

Eden Hazard breaks his silence on his Madrid ordeal three years after leaving Los Blancos. The Belgian points to one key injury, an ill-timed relapse, and a physical downward spiral that never let him go. A look back at a chapter marked by unfulfilled promises and lingering pain.

When Real Madrid shelled out over €100 million to sign Eden Hazard in 2019, expectations were sky-high. Arriving from Chelsea FC, the Belgian playmaker was supposed to usher in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era. But the fairy tale was short-lived. In four seasons, Hazard featured in just 70 matches, scoring only 7 goals—a return far below what was hoped for from a player tipped to become one of the world's best in a Real Madrid shirt.

“Thomas Meunier injured me and everything was ruined”

Three years after his exit, the Red Devil revisits the pivotal moment that sent his career into a tailspin. "I was in top form, then Thomas Meunier injured me and ruined everything for me," he revealed. He recalled the details: during a Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain in November 2019, a challenge from Thomas Meunier resulted in a fracture to his right ankle. At that point, Hazard was hitting his stride. That injury changed everything.

The Belgian also revealed the problem wasn't new. "I suffered the same fracture two or three years earlier at Chelsea." Having already injured the same ankle during his Chelsea days, Hazard suffered another blow to the same spot against Levante UD after his comeback. "I had just come back from injury and then picked up another one on the same ankle against Levante. That's when the problems started."

This relapse triggered a cycle of surgeries, persistent pain, lost form, and a lack of continuity. His body simply couldn't keep up.

A talent that never blossomed in Madrid

Three years on from his departure, Eden Hazard's revelations cast his time in Madrid in a more human than sporting light. Far from being a simple technical or mental failure, his Madrid adventure stands out above all as a battle against his own body.

The former Belgian prodigy leaves behind the image of an immense talent broken by a string of injuries, with a recurring fracture that ultimately changed the course of his career.