Eden Hazard’s Chelsea career began and ended with the Europa League

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard won his first piece of silverware in blue as the club lifted the Europa League. He also won his last with the Europa League.

Didier Drogba had taken what was supposed to be his last kick for Chelsea and sent the Blues into raptures. The Champions League had finally been won. Days later, a promising young Belgian announced he was joining the Champions League winners. Eden Hazard had arrived.

It was believed Hazard would reach the levels of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo eventually. It was believed he would help take the Blues to further Champions Leagues and dominance. But it did not work out that way. Less than six months after joining, the Blues fell into the Europa League. Months later, the Blues lifted that trophy and briefly held both European cups simultaneously. Hazard had won his first silverware.

Now, seven years later, Hazard has again lifted the Europa League. Seven years ago when he signed, it would have been hard to imagine Chelsea as a club in the Europa League (not once, but twice). And while the years still produced plenty for Hazard and Chelsea, the fact that they were book ended by Europa League wins is as telling as it is poetic.

Hazard was supposed to be a Ballon d’Or level player. But at Chelsea, that never quite seemed possible. As the years went on, there was a growing sense that Hazard could only win the prestigious award if he went to one of the few clubs even bigger than Chelsea. But he never did. He stuck around year after year and each summer was supposed to be “the year” the Blues would take Hazard to the peak.

But Chelsea has a habit of failing to strike while the iron is hot. 2014/2015 and 2016/2017 are the clearest indications of this. Chelsea had won the title, but in the summer after each they failed to strengthen the side in the way the manager desired. The drop off after each season set Chelsea backwards.

It was during these periods that Hazard often “carried the team” and fans demanded attacking players to match Hazard’s talent. They never really came. Without them, Hazard could be the hero but the side could never reach greater heights.

Coming off an amazing World Cup, Maurizio Sarri was supposed to finally “unlock” Hazard’s talent. Statically, that is what happened as Hazard had a career high season. But Hazard is also in his peak now and the team is not any closer to winning Champions Leagues than they were when Hazard joined.

Hazard came to Chelsea perhaps hoping to be the first piece of a grand build that would make Chelsea a force like the late 2000s again. It did not happen that away and instead of a piece, Hazard was the main and perhaps only activation.

Hazard’s Chelsea career will always have a notion of what if about it and there is perhaps no better way for it to end than where it began; with the Europa League in hand. Hazard has kept Chelsea afloat, but together they failed to rise to the top tier of football clubs.

The Belgian, book ended by Europe’s second most prestigious trophy, will now make the jump up in tiers before it is too late. Maybe then he can complete the trophy cabinet with Europe’s most prestigious trophy and a Ballon d’Or to match.