Eden Hazard, the former Real Madrid player, recently opened up about the reasons behind his weight gain during his time at the Spanish club. The Belgian winger, who recently retired, attributed his physical transformation to a lack of vacation time during his stint at Chelsea and the subsequent desire to indulge during a well-deserved break before his move to Real Madrid.
Speaking to the French newspaper “L’Équipe,” Hazard admitted, “After finishing one of my best seasons with Chelsea and before joining Real Madrid, I told myself that this was my last vacation.” He continued, “For this reason, I indulged in food more after 7 years in England without ever getting a Christmas holiday. So, when I had a break for 3-4 weeks, I wanted to enjoy it.”
Hazard also addressed his time at Real Madrid, lamenting that “everything went wrong at Real Madrid. My diet was not good if I wanted to play until the age of 40, but that’s not me.” He expressed his lack of desire to continue playing for the club, stating, “I knew my time at Real Madrid was over, and I didn’t want to play because the fans would have booed me, so I preferred to stay on the bench.”
Furthermore, he contrasted his approach to the game with that of Cristiano Ronaldo, remarking, “I didn’t want to have the mentality of Cristiano Ronaldo. I used to go to the ice bath after training, play with my friends, and spend time with my children. If I were like Ronaldo, I would have collapsed from exhaustion.” Hazard concluded by acknowledging Ronaldo’s greatness but asserting, “I am better than him as a talent.”
Eden Hazard made the high-profile move to Real Madrid in 2019 from Chelsea in a transfer worth €115 million. His stint with the Spanish giants saw him play 76 matches, scoring 7 goals and providing 12 assists.
The revelations by Hazard offer an insight into the challenges and pressures faced by top-tier footballers and emphasize the importance of balance and self-care in maintaining peak performance.
