Hazard defended after nightclub controversy
Robin Bairner
- 5 Oct 2022 14:45 BST
- 3 min read
Real Madrid attacker Eden Hazard continues to find himself in the news for unwanted reasons, with Belgium boss Roberto Martinez forced to defend the former Chelsea player after a controversial nightclub incident.
The winger was spotted out late two days before Belgium faced Netherlands in a vital Nations League encounter, which has not gone down well in his homeland.
It will not have impressed Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti either, with Hazard having failed to live up to expectations at the Bernabeu this season. Following a campaign in which he suffered from injuries, he had been expected to step up to play a greater role this term after Los Blancos missed out on Kylian Mbappe in the summer.
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Instead, the 31-year-old has provided little support for the likes of Fede Valverde and Vinicius Junior, who continue to be heavily relied upon by the club.
Indeed, Hazard has only started two matches for Real Madrid this season and has yet to register three hours of competitive football this season, failing to either provide an assist or score a goal.
Martinez defends Hazard
“We trust our players and he was allowed to spend time with friends and family,” head coach Roberto Martinez told RTBF. “There’s a very clear story behind it and I’m not going to go into it in public. It will be handled internally. I don’t want it to happen again, but there were reasons behind it.
“Eden Hazard is still a very important player for the national team, that’s 100% sure. His experience, his influence on opponents, his ability to beat a man, to create danger. With his profile, he is, in my opinion, still one of the very best in the world.”
Following his nightclub excursion, he captained Belgium against the Netherlands in a 1-0 defeat, while the Real Madrid man was also present in a 2-1 win over Wales.
Hazard still has two years left on his Real Madrid contract, and with a sizeable wage, the club are likely to struggle to find any takers for him.
