Eden Hazard

[Maluco]

Bale was always in good physical shape and dropped off after contributing to the clubs successes and showing up in big games.

Hazard has contributed nothing and didn’t even try to take care of himself physically. He gave himself no chance from the get-go turning up in the shape he did.

No real excuses with the ability he has with the ball at his feet. I don’t think it’s something to be celebrated giving so little.

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

He totally fleeced RM, but also RM just takes the hit and keeps going.

Does Hazard get a big pass compared to Bale, even if Bale has done ten times more for RM than Hazard?

Situations are different.

The issue with Bale is he was basically at war with the club. Hazard isn't, since, like you said, RM seems fine taking the hit.

 

[Zehner]

Bale was always in good physical shape and dropped off after contributing to the clubs successes and showing up in big games.

Hazard has contributed nothing and didn’t even try to take care of himself physically. He gave himself no chance from the get-go turning up in the shape he did.

No real excuses with the ability he has with the ball at his feet. I don’t think it’s something to be celebrated giving so little.

I think you should give the guy a break. His ankle is ruined and he probably knows that he'll never reach the level he had prior to his move to Madrid again.

 

[Baxquux]

I know he's had genuine injury problems but even so, there's something slightly amusing in the way Hazard has basically built up to this move through his whole career and then more or less just treated it like some Middle Eastern cash-grab sejour...

 

[Maluco]

I think you should give the guy a break. His ankle is ruined and he probably knows that he'll never reach the level he had prior to his move to Madrid again.

If it were about an injury, he should probably show a bit of humility and not give an interview like this one.

His attitude stinks.

 

[Zehner]

If it were about an injury, he should probably show a bit of humility and not give an interview like this one.

His attitude stinks.

But it is about an injury, isn't it? Don't get me wrong, he's not been a role model athlete for them, far from it. But he was the same at Chelsea and still one of the best players in the world.

The difference is that his ankle was ruined by his injuries right at the start there. I also recall that Madrid's medical team a part in it but I'm not too sure about that. As it stands, this move would've went wrong even if he upped hid attitude right after leaving Chelsea.

 

[SirReginald]

Situations are different.

The issue with Bale is he was basically at war with the club. Hazard isn't, since, like you said, RM seems fine taking the hit.

Bale seemed more interested in his extra curricular activities and refused to leave even when given the chance to play at another club. Top prick. I’d say Bale gets more of a pass from British fans because.. he is British. When he wasted a good few years of his career. Hazard notoriously didn’t look after himself but it was his injuries that really ruined his opportunities at Madrid. He physically broke down, Bale was more mental breakdown.

 

[Maluco]

But it is about an injury, isn't it? Don't get me wrong, he's not been a role model athlete for them, far from it. But he was the same at Chelsea and still one of the best players in the world.

The difference is that his ankle was ruined by his injuries right at the start there. I also recall that Madrid's medical team a part in it but I'm not too sure about that. As it stands, this move would've went wrong even if he upped hid attitude right after leaving Chelsea.

It’s possible, maybe it would have never been the right fit, but why not give yourself the best possible chance?

To not do that and then give an interview laughing it up about “getting paid to do nothing” is a bit rich for me.

It doesn’t take much not to be fat when you are playing for an elite club with access to the best possible diet and facilities in the world.

I just think an interview like that one invites criticism.

 

[Baxquux]

Bale seemed more interested in his extra curricular activities and refused to leave even when given the chance to play at another club. Top prick. I’d say Bale gets more of a pass from British fans because.. he is British. When he wasted a good few years of his career. Hazard notoriously didn’t look after himself but it was his injuries that really ruined his opportunities at Madrid. He physically broke down, Bale was more mental breakdown.

Bale seemed like he was trying on the pitch whenever i saw him play, and he was producing very good numbers the first few years (by 'normal' top player rather than Ronaldo standards); it seemed more to be an image thing , with his apparently not speaking fluent Spanish even after year3/4, and preferring to play golf rather than attend events outside of whole team socials, from what I remember.

Beckham and Mcmanaman had doubters at certain points and eventually brought the 'crowd' round (or at least back to them), right, so I suppose Bale could make the case that he was aiming to do similar by keeping fit and available and not wanting to leave beautiful surroundings (and sunnier gold courses) unless explicitly pushed out.

Also, this is the thing with building your club to be 'the best in the world' or, in Barcelona's case, the 'more than a club' brand: you get players to buy into that ideology for the purposes of recruiting them and winning trophies and then wonder why it's hard to push them out when you need to free up space/cash

 

[Zehner]

It’s possible, maybe it would have never been the right fit, but why not give yourself the best possible chance?

To not do that and then give an interview laughing it up about “getting paid to do nothing” is a bit rich for me.

It doesn’t take much not to be fat when you are playing for an elite club with access to the best possible diet and facilities in the world.

I just think an interview like that one invites criticism.

I generally agree, just think you can't really blame him for being the exact player Madrid signed. He's a bit of an underachiever which is really disappointing but he was still world class doing so and he probably would have been for Madrid as well if not for the injury. You don't sign somebody expecting he'll change for you. If he makes the life choice that he doesn't want to dedicate everything to football he has every right to do so. Madrid knew that and still opted for the transfer.

 

[Maluco]

I generally agree, just think you can't really blame him for being the exact player Madrid signed. He's a bit of an underachiever which is really disappointing but he was still world class doing so and he probably would have been for Madrid as well if not for the injury. You don't sign somebody expecting he'll change for you. If he makes the life choice that he doesn't want to dedicate everything to football he has every right to do so. Madrid knew that and still opted for the transfer.

Yeah, I can agree with that part. Possibly a lack of due diligence on their part.

 

[Zehner]

Yeah, I can agree with that part. Possibly a lack of due diligence on their part.

I mean, it was basically common knowledge, every RedCafe user knew he lets himself go in the summer and isn't too professional. I think he even gave an interview about not dedicating all to football, that his children are his trophies, etc. So I assume they knew and went with it anyway. Wouldn't even say it was a mistake, they were unlucky. Many greats had relatively lazy attitudes and the clubs were willing to look over it.

 

[MexicanCowboy]

Even if I dislike Real Madrid I think there should be a way to protect clubs from players like this. Someone who doesn't even try his best should not be allowed to keep milking tons of money from a club year after year.

 

[Maluco]

I mean, it was basically common knowledge, every RedCafe user knew he lets himself go in the summer and isn't too professional. I think he even gave an interview about not dedicating all to football, that his children are his trophies, etc. So I assume they knew and went with it anyway. Wouldn't even say it was a mistake, they were unlucky. Many greats had relatively lazy attitudes and the clubs were willing to look over it.

It’s a different world though now isn’t it? Languid number 10s with all the ability in the world are dead. Every single position involves running, pressing and pressure. But yeah, for such a sharp and immediate decline, it is unlucky.

I can’t help but feel like he sabotaged himself from the start. Turning up overweight and unfit for the biggest move of your life is bizarre.

 

[Zehner]

It’s a different world though now isn’t it? Languid number 10s with all the ability in the world are dead. Every single position involves running, pressing and pressure. But yeah, for such a sharp and immediate decline, it is unlucky.

I can’t help but feel like he sabotaged himself from the start. Turning up overweight and unfit for the biggest move of your life is bizarre.

Definitely. But I think clubs are pragmatic. If a player is good enough, he's good enough. They won't prefer a player who performs worse but is more professional. So maybe this has more to do that the level has gotten so high that only the most talented can afford being unprofessional. I guess players such as Messi, Mbappe, Neymar, etc could afford it as well but they simply don't do it.

Probably has to do with metabolism as well. Maybe Hazard is blessed with a particularly good one and loses weight much quicker after building it up.

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

To not do that and then give an interview laughing it up about “getting paid to do nothing” is a bit rich for me.

He's given multiple interviews saying he wants to play. He has been 'healthy' for the better part of the last two seasons, and there's few if any reports of him being unprofessional at training.

My sense is that maybe the whole fallout with Bale (and, to a lesser extent, James) has led the club to take a different approach with regards to 'surplus to requirement' players, which is: don't rock the boat.

Hazard isn't the only person in similar circumstances, Vallejo, Odriozola, and Mariano don't play at all either.

 

[lilcurt]

Even if I dislike Real Madrid I think there should be a way to protect clubs from players like this. Someone who doesn't even try his best should not be allowed to keep milking tons of money from a club year after year.

Disagree, this is just part and parcel of the game. Nobody forced the club to give him that contract. It's no different to a player at the top of his game (Kane for example) not being allowed to leave as the club hold his contract.

 

[MexicanCowboy]

Disagree, this is just part and parcel of the game. Nobody forced the club to give him that contract. It's no different to a player at the top of his game (Kane for example) not being allowed to leave as the club hold his contract.

Disagree, Real Madrid pays this dude to be a professional football player but he is not even in shape. Players may be trash and in that case it's your fault like you said for giving them a contract. But if they suck because they are just too lazy to even try there should be a way out for clubs.

 

[maniak]

Disagree, Real Madrid pays this dude to be a professional football player but he is not even in shape. Players may be trash and in that case it's your fault like you said for giving them a contract. But if they suck because they are just too lazy to even try there should be a way out for clubs.

Yeah what we really need in today's world is to make it easier for employers to feck their employees.

By the way, who would decide if the player is lazy or in bad form?

 

[giorno]

From Real Madrid fans. Bale got loads of stick from Madrid fans and all, even after all his good play and direct contribution towards major trophies.

Bit different situation. Bale was more demanding of his status at the club with his agent constantly nagging the club and giving interview talking shit, then the whole issue with Zidane happened and the fallout from that

Also Hazard basically was never good, and at a time of lower expectations for the team, now with Vini's explosion everyone basically forgot about him. Bale was at the club with Cristiano at a time of greater expectations, had a mediocre second season and fans got on his back and he handled it poorly

Finally and most important of all, the spanish media never went after Hazard the way they did Bale

 

[MexicanCowboy]

Yeah what we really need in today's world is to make it easier for employers to feck their employees.

By the way, who would decide if the player is lazy or in bad form?

I agree with you that workers should be protected, specially as Mexican because we've got almost zero rights compared to European countries. However, even if marxist theory says so, football players don't really belong to the working class. They earn way more than most business owners and they work way less.
I just don't get how these players can be so lazy when they have to work so little to earn so much. Is training 3 hours a day and respecting your diet too much to ask?
A lot of us have to work over 40 hours a week to barely afford our expenses. Then we have a day or two to rest and relax, we pay a streaming service to watch our favorite sport and escape reality for a few hours. However, those spoiled football players couldn't care less.

 

[IRELANDUNITED]

Even if I dislike Real Madrid I think there should be a way to protect clubs from players like this. Someone who doesn't even try his best should not be allowed to keep milking tons of money from a club year after year.

Phil Jones has entered the chat

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

He’s pretty funny, don’t understand the cross-dressing, but he’s entertaining.

 

[Tyrion]

He fecking wishes he had Bale's Real career.

Bale scored 106 goals and won a CL final for them. Hazard has scored 7.

He's Bale without the early success, the international career and with golf replaced by nothing. Imagine being a lesser version of a player mocked for doing nothing for years.

 

[WeePat]

Even if I dislike Real Madrid I think there should be a way to protect clubs from players like this. Someone who doesn't even try his best should not be allowed to keep milking tons of money from a club year after year.

He’s been ready to play for ages. Not his fault his coach doesn’t think he needs him.

 

[top1whoisman]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

They will be the greatest MLS team of all-time if Messi is fit next season.

Alba might be on his way too.

 

[Maluco]

I wouldn’t be doing this if I were Miami. You want a functional team and Hazard has been overweight and a shadow of his former self for a very long time.

You want runners around Messi and their other signings (Busquets, Alba) are still performing to a very high level.

Hazard hasn’t done that for years now and I don’t think the name value he has left makes up for how poor he is now as a footballer.

 

[simonhch]

Hazard will breeze past players in MLS even if he’s fat, so that’s not the problem. But agree with a previous poster about needing runners around Messi. It’s a high octane league and they are getting zero work rate out of a semi retired Messi and Hazard. So the team better be Alba, Biscuits, Messi, Hazard, a GK and 6 N’Golo Kantes.