Eden Hazard is the fans’ choice for next Chelsea captain

Chelsea fans’ voted and the majority says Eden Hazard should be the next captain. What does the Belgian bring to the table for the armband?

The Pride of London ran a Twitter poll to see who the fans believe should be the next Chelsea captain. In the running was Gary Cahill (as the current captain), Cesar Azpilicueta (as the current on pitch captain), Eden Hazard (as the club’s most talented player and an international captain), and Jorginho (as Maurizio Sarri’s most familiar player).

Cahill and Jorginho, combined, got a whopping four percent of the vote (two percent each). Jorginho ranking so low is easy to explain as he is new to the club and it would feel rather unjustified to make him captain. Cahill’s low percentage is harsh as he is the current captain but the captain must be a starter. It is looking more likely than ever that Cahill is no longer a starter for the Blues.

Cesar Azpilicueta earns himself an honorable mention. He has been the captain with Cahill out of the lineup and would be the choice most rooted in the current hierarchy. He earned 40 percent of the vote, which is sizable, but not enough to overcome the majority’s favorite.

A massive 56 percent of readers want Eden Hazard to be the next Chelsea captain. The fact that Maurizio Sarri has not already named a captain hints that Hazard is very much in his mind. It would make sense given Hazard himself, Sarri’s history with captains, and Chelsea’s desire to hold on to the Belgian. It is worth noting, however, that naming Hazard as captain would be a bit harsh on Azpilicueta. But that is a story for another day.

Hazard played some of his best ever football as the captain of Belgium in the World Cup. Not only did he lead by example, but he pushed his teammates to perform better. He led his nation to a historic finish that was very much warranted. The belief from the Blue side of things is that Hazard will similarly rise to the occasion if he is named captain.

Furthermore, Sarri seems to prefer his captains to be on the attacking end of things. At Napoli, his captain was Marek Hamsik. Throughout preseason, Cesc Fabregas, Willian, and Victor Moses all wore the armband during various matches. Given how much of Sarri’s tactics are built around his midfield and offense, it would make sense to hand the captaincy to a player in that section.

Furthermore, there is a belief that a captaincy would be enough to keep Hazard at Chelsea for the remainder of his career. He feels content in London and loved by the fans, but the armband would be the last exclamation point needed to see him commit for the long haul. Though it is unclear as to what would come first between the captaincy and the contract extension, there is a sense that the two are connected.

Sarri naming Hazard as captain would go a long way towards winning the fans over (as well as the Belgian himself). It could cause some strain in the dressing room temporarily, but Azpilicueta is unlikely to raise a fuss about being snubbed. Winning over the fans may be important for Sarri as he looks to adapt to English football. And if it manages to keep Hazard around till his retirement, the captaincy may very well be worth it.