Chelsea star explains why Hazard is failing at Real Madrid
Martin Macdonald
- Updated: 3 Feb 2022 12:20 GMT
- 3 min read
Playing football in La Liga compared to the Premier League is obviously an extremely different prospect.
Whereas La Liga focuses more on tactics, the Premier League is known for its intensity.
One player who is an authority on the subject is Chelsea midfielder Saul Niguez, who spent his career playing for Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital before joining the Blues on loan in the summer of 2021.
Saul has struggled to make an impact on the Chelsea team since his arrival, having to battle for starts up against N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
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The former Atletico start admits the transition has been difficult, and has cited Eden Hazard as an example of how hard it can be to adapt to a new league.
The Belgian remains one of the most expensive players in history following his €100 million transfer from Chelsea to Real Madrid, but injury and form issues have led to him no longer being considered as a key player for Los Blancos.
"They are totally different," Saul told the official Chelsea website when asked about the difference between the Premier League and La Liga.
"Over there, it’s much more tactical, whereas here it’s more physical and a bit crazier. There’s more back and forth, it’s less about having control of the game and more about entertaining the fans. You can do things here that you really can’t do in La Liga.
"For example, I was talking to my friends the other day about Eden Hazard. When he was here, he was easily one of the best players in the world and then he goes to La Liga and has his own difficulties because it’s a totally different game.
"Here he had more one-vs-ones and two-vs-ones but in La Liga, because everyone knows how good his team is and how good he is, other teams make it much more difficult for him.
"Here it’s happening a bit in reverse, although I think it’s a bit easier to adapt from La Liga to the Premier League than from the Premier League to La Liga."
Does Hazard have a future at Real Madrid?
Hazard has fallen down the pecking order at Santiago Bernabeu, with Vinicius Junior the undisputed number one pick in the Belgian's position on the left.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said before the turn of the year that he would never force a player to stay at the club who wanted to leave, when asked about Hazard's future.
The Italian would later play down reports that Hazard had asked to leave following a trip to Saudi Arabia for the Super Cup in which the player failed to earn a single minute of playing time.
“Nothing has happened with Hazard,” he said before a Copa del Rey fixture against Elche.
“There is competence and I have to choose the best in each game.
“This affects a lot of players. I don’t deny it.
“Nothing has happened in particular, he trains and hopes for the call from his coach. If it arrives, he will be ready.”
In the January transfer window, Hazard was linked with a return to Chelsea or Lille, as well as newly rich Newcastle, but no deal materalised.
