Eden Hazard, the Real Madrid star, has recently shared his reasons for not enjoying playing for Belgium at the 2022 World Cup. Despite captaining the Red Devils in Qatar, he made it clear in an interview with Belgian outlet HLN that he believed the “new generation” of Belgium players deserved to play more. Hazard had made just six appearances for Real Madrid before the tournament, and he felt that younger players who were actively playing for their clubs should have been given more opportunities.
After Belgium’s unexpected elimination from the World Cup group stage, Hazard announced his retirement from international football. However, he clarified that his decision had been made before the tournament and was not a result of his country’s failed campaign. He revealed that the European Championships in 2021 had been a turning point for him, after he was unable to play in the quarter-final loss to Italy due to an ankle injury.
Hazard also shared that his teammate at Real Madrid, Toni Kroos, had influenced his decision to retire from international football. Kroos had quit the German national team two years ago, and he suggested that taking advantage of free time to spend with family was important.
Hazard joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in a record-breaking £88.5million transfer almost four years ago. However, he has struggled to make an impact at the Santiago Bernabeu, scoring just seven goals in 73 appearances for Los Blancos. Despite this, he remains the highest-paid player at the club.
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