Whether or not Eden Hazard reached the world’s best with Chelsea will remain a hot topic. But for the player himself, it does not matter.
Seven years ago, a prodigy, a phenomenon, a sensation, announced his arrival at Stamford Bridge. A magician who would go on to weave moments and memories etched into every Chelsea fan’s heart. Seven years of sheer determination, grit, and tenacity.
But everything must come to an end. This journey comes to an end as Eden Hazard moves to his childhood dream team, Real Madrid. Eden Hazard has been the heartbeat of Chelsea for years. He has carried the team on his back whilst dribbling, shooting, and passing his way against all odds.
The Blues have relied on him for everything. When walls refused to break down and when buses were parked, Chelsea looked at one man. More often than not, Hazard took the club through.
Now, there will be many questions. Over the years, people have questioned whether Eden Hazard set the bar too low for himself. The implication was that Hazard never had the hunger and thirst to compete with the best of the best.
Hazard has never been driven by any personal achievements and has never had his sights on any individual honors. In many interviews, Hazard has stated that he does not think he will be able to win the Ballon d’Or as he is not selfish enough.
Now, the most important detail from this is that Hazard accepts that he is not selfish enough and he implies that he chooses to remain that way. Staying true to himself is more important than getting an award.
Hazard has always maintained that he plays football because he loves the game. He does not play for statistics, honors, or awards. It is important that fans respect this feature of Hazard’s character and acknowledge that this is who Hazard is. Applaud him for putting “his way of football” at the forefront.
Hazard, after receiving the “Playmaker of the Season” award, accepted it graciously but also reminded that these trophies all go into his garage. In the end, the success of his club was more important to him than receiving any personal accolades. This is who Hazard is and it is what he enjoys. The rest does not matter.
Maybe to an extent, it is justified to question whether Hazard could have competed with the two current footballing demigods, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. And in all honesty, the ingredients were there. The stage was set. So what exactly went missing?
To understand this question, it is important we look at Hazard the man. In every public appearance, Hazard has gone around cracking jokes, winking, and doing all sorts of frivolous chores. Hazard has a character that takes everything lightly. A character that allows him to stay calm even in the tensest situations.
The fact of the matter is, Hazard does not pay heed to any statistics and is not worried about these small things. There have been situations where Hazard had been on a hat trick but had chosen to pass the ball to someone in a better position. Is it silly? Perhaps yes. Does it undermine his chances of bolstering his numbers? Yes. But is it the better choice for the team? Definitely yes.
Hazard failed to match Ronaldo and Messi. But the true narrative suggests it does not matter. As long as Eden is giving his best for his team, be it Chelsea, Real Madrid or Belgium, and as long as he is enjoying playing his football, none of the awards are important. They do not matter.
Hazard considers himself as just another player and plays with the same drive and the same objective: to help the team. The other things do not matter.
A perfect example was when Eden suggested that his best performance ever was against Brazil in the World Cup. A match in which he failed to score score and did not create. But a game where he took the ball up field when his team was tirelessly defending and made sure that he kept his team in the game.
Hazard may never be able to reach the statistics or the goals that Ronaldo and Messi achieve. He may never be able to call himself the best in the world. But it does not matter.