Oh, how the mighty have fallen from grace!
Once a Prince who ruled the annals of Stamford Bridge, Eden Hazard is now fighting for his life at Real Madrid.
The waning confidence of the Madridistas and their coach Carlo Ancelotti can only be expressed in so many words.
The situation is so bad that people have been asking,’ Has Hazard retired from football?’
One can’t remember a disgrace of this capacity to a player who was given the same seat on the table that hosted Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ancelotti had often showered heaps of praise on the Belgian about his hard work and innate ability to overturn his dwindling fate but the actions of the 31-year-old winger couldn’t match the words of his manager.
Hazard had often been singled out for his lacklustre ability to stay in shape. In the past, many photos have emerged in the whites of Real Madrid where the Belgian is often seen with a bulging stomach while his face looked puffy and out of breath.
But given Ancelotti’s recent remarks about Hazard’s tremendous return to fitness, one would hope that the worst is behind him. Unfortunately, that statement does not hold any ground.
In a Copa Del Rey encounter against Cacereno, a fourth-tier side of the Spanish football league system, Hazard was given a place in the starting XI.
Everyone hoped for a masterclass from the Belgian against a lowly ranked side, but to their horror, they were bowled over by Hazard’s inability to make an impact.
It’s one thing to struggle against teams like Bayern Munich or Paris Saint Germain, but to sink to a level where you have zero shoots, dribbles, and fouls caused against Cacereno is beyond embarrassing.
If not for Ancelotti’s decision to substitute the Belgian in the 68th minute, Hazard would have ended the game with his contract terminated at the Santiago Bernabeu.
He didn’t trouble anyone on the pitch except for maybe his own teammates when he failed to provide anything substantial.
Adding fuel to the fire was Hazard’s bumpy physique, which doesn’t seem to swell down.
But instead of hitting the gym to drop the extra pounds, Hazard’s carefree attitude has made matters worse for him with the fans of Real Madrid.
It’s clear that he is not the Hazard that terrorized defenders in the Premier League or the same player that Los Blancos paid a hefty amount for.
The Belgian has announced his retirement from international football and the day may be closer than expected when he bids farewell to Real Madrid.
For now, it’s doubtful that Hazard will be allowed an eight appearance for the season with Real Madrid.