Eden Hazard Faces Impossible Choice With the Benefit of Perspective

 Eden Hazard has been unshackled under Maurizio Sarri, who thinks he should aim for a 40-goal season. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
Eden Hazard has been unshackled under Maurizio Sarri, who thinks he should aim for a 40-goal season. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
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Eden Hazard Faces Impossible Choice With the Benefit of Perspective

 Eden Hazard has been unshackled under Maurizio Sarri, who thinks he should aim for a 40-goal season. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
Eden Hazard has been unshackled under Maurizio Sarri, who thinks he should aim for a 40-goal season. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

What would you do? You’re a top footballer for one of the richest and most successful teams in England. You play in the Premier League and you know that opposition defenders are terrified whenever you get the ball. You have won trophies and individual awards and your fans adore you. Life in London is good. You never know, they might build a statue of you outside the ground one day.

But despite all that, your eyes are wandering. You have started to question your club’s ambition. You have never won the Champions League and a lot of people are saying that you have to leave to reach the next level. The argument goes that you have to push yourself in order to be considered an elite player. Don’t sign that new contract. Push for a move. You have dreamt of playing for Real Madrid since childhood and they have a vacancy for a new star forward. Go there, become a European champion, score in the clásico, win a Ballon d’Or, increase your brand’s profile. What would you do? Don’t kid yourself: you’re putting in the transfer request, you disloyal snake.

For Eden Hazard, however, it’s complicated. Chelsea’s main man cannot make up his mind. He has less than two years left on his deal at Stamford Bridge and he knows that Madrid, the reigning European champions, are interested. He has made no secret of his desire to play for them one day and his contractual situation raises the possibility of him leaving Chelsea next summer. Yet although Hazard is entitled to wonder whether his current employers can match his ambition given that they have missed out on Champions League qualification twice in the last three years, the Belgian forward does not know which way his heart will turn.

The logical move is to start looking for property in the Spanish capital. Hazard is 28 in January and he knows that this is probably his last chance to secure a glamour move. Yet he sounded conflicted while discussing his future after Chelsea’s win over Southampton on Sunday. “In my head, sometimes I wake up in the morning and think I want to go,” Hazard said. “Sometimes I think I want to stay. It is a hard decision.”

Most of his colleagues would struggle to reject Madrid. It is how football operates these days. Philippe Coutinho found himself in this kind of situation at the start of 2018 and Liverpool could not convince the Brazilian to ignore Barcelona’s courting. For Coutinho, it was impossible to turn down the chance to play at the Camp Nou. Liverpool pocketed the money, used it to sign Virgil van Dijk and went on to reach the Champions League final. But when Lionel Messi was running Tottenham ragged at Wembley last week, it is doubtful that Coutinho was regretting his decision to leave Anfield.

English clubs have often fought a losing battle when it comes to keeping their best players away from the top two clubs in La Liga. Coutinho, for instance, was following in the footsteps of Javier Mascherano and Luis Suárez. Arsène Wenger lost Thierry Henry and Cesc Fàbregas to Barcelona; Gareth Bale and Luka Modric left Tottenham for the Bernabéu; and it is just over 10 years since Sir Alex Ferguson asked Cristiano Ronaldo to give Manchester United one more season before joining Madrid.

Yet footballers are not all wired in the same way. Hazard, who is not represented by a ruthless agent, is not the pushy type. He is a quiet guy, a family man, and his children are settled in England. He has a relaxed outlook and is happiest when he is having fun on the pitch. He is well suited to playing for a manager with Maurizio Sarri’s attacking approach. Hazard’s creative instincts were often stifled under Antonio Conte and José Mourinho, two counterattacking coaches, but he has been liberated by Sarriball, scoring eight times in 10 appearances in this season.

There is a sense, however, that Hazard has not always maximised his talent. He has won two league titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League since joining Chelsea from Lille in the summer of 2012 but has not been past the last 16 of the Champions League since 2014. Even Sarri has qualified his praise for Hazard by pointing out that the forward should be aiming to score 40 goals a season. Does fear come into it? Sometimes people find it hard to test their limits. What if they fail? What if Hazard is out of his depth in Spain?

Of course, this could all be moot if Madrid manage to prise Neymar away from Paris Saint-Germain next summer. Yet it will not be a drama if Hazard has to let go of his childhood fantasy. What should Eden do? He will probably do what he always does: stay chilled and enjoy his life. “It is not like if I go I am happy and if I stay that I am unhappy,” he said. Sometimes maintaining a sense of perspective is the greatest victory of all.

The Guardian Sport



FIFA Announces Highest Ever Score in Bidding History for Saudi Arabia to Host World Cup 2034

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announces the Kingdom's bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ 2034. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announces the Kingdom's bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ 2034. (SPA)
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FIFA Announces Highest Ever Score in Bidding History for Saudi Arabia to Host World Cup 2034

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announces the Kingdom's bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ 2034. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announces the Kingdom's bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ 2034. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup has received a rating of 419.8 out of 500, the highest ever given by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to a file submitted to host the global event, the federation said on Friday.

The announcement was made less than two weeks before the official awarding of the FIFA World Cup hosts for 2030 and 2034 at the extraordinary FIFA congress on December 11.

As part of the bidding process, FIFA conducted an inspection visit in October to review the details of Saudi Arabia’s bid, where officials visited proposed host cities, stadiums, and facilities across the tournament footprint.

Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the landmark event reflects the Kingdom’s support from the highest level of leadership. It represents the backing of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and aligns with the ambitious objectives of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of the Saudi people.

Commenting on the report, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said: "I extend my deepest gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince for their support and empowerment, which played a pivotal role in achieving this outstanding result."

"Saudi Arabia is a footballing nation with a young population that truly love the game. Young people are looking to a bright future. This score by FIFA simply reflects our commitment to grow the game, our rapid transformation and our desire to host the best possible tournament for the entire world to enjoy," he added.

"It is the result of our extensive efforts to present an exceptional bid and a testament to the collaboration between multiple entities across the Kingdom, driven by Vision 2030, which has enabled all sectors to unite behind a bid that represents the aspirations of the Kingdom’s leadership and the ambitions of the Saudi people," he remarked.

Saudi Arabia officially submitted its bid in July under the slogan "Growing. Together", unveiling its ambitious plans to host the world’s first 48-team FIFA World Cup to be held in one country. The bid proposes matches across 15 stadiums in five host cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Abha, and NEOM, in addition to 10 other host locations across the Kingdom.

President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Al-Misehal commented: "This exceptional score is the result of the leadership’s support and the guidance of the Crown Prince, whose vision has been the driving force behind the remarkable growth of the sports sector in Saudi Arabia."

"Through this bid, we are committed to delivering an extraordinary tournament experience for players, officials, and football fans worldwide. Football lives at the heart of Saudi culture, and we aim to provide an unforgettable experience that showcases the Kingdom’s rich heritage and the hospitality of its people," he stressed.

Head of the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup 2034 bid unit Hammad Albalawi stated: "We take huge pride in this unprecedented score. It highlights the country’s collaborative efforts to present the highest technical standards throughout this bid."

"Our goal was to highlight how the significant progress we’ve already made in football can benefit the global game and demonstrate our commitment to deliver an exceptional experience for the world’s largest sporting event," he remarked.

"Our bid features five host cities with diverse cultures and landscapes, offering fans unique experiences to explore different regions of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the 10 other host locations will boost the experience for teams and fans with modern training facilities, advanced sports infrastructure, and excellent connectivity between sites," he stressed.

Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034 represents a significant opportunity to showcase the ongoing progress the Kingdom has achieved since the launch of Vision 2030 by Crown Prince Mohammed. This vision has allowed the Kingdom to become a leader in hosting global sport, welcoming over 100 major events across various sports, including the FIFA Club World Cup and the Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Jeddah.

The Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup 2034 bid supports the Vision 2030 goals of building a vibrant society, fostering athletic talent, contributing to the economy, and improving the quality of life for Saudi citizens and visitors alike. Additionally, the bid will continue to work collaboratively with the Saudi Green Initiative to deliver an environmentally sustainable and exceptional edition of the tournament.