With a light heart, a liberated spirit, a newfound smile, it was Eden Hazard, head held high and proud, who stepped onto the lawn of a packed King Baudouin stadium and happy to see his captain back from game. But there is still a long way to go before seeing the flamboyant Eden again.
We have to go back to November 13, 2021 to see Eden Hazard start with the Red Devils (against Estonia) and to January 23 to experience such a situation under the Real Madrid jacket (against Elche). Lease !
When you love football, you can only appreciate players of the caliber of Eden Hazard. The plate that bothered him so much, which prevented him from being 100% and from giving his all without ulterior motives, has been removed. What deliver it from a weight. All the ingredients were there against the Netherlands to relaunch it: a favorable context, a public committed to its cause…
The first touches of the ball are reassuring. He was involved in the good deeds of the Devils in the first quarter of an hour and in particular in the one that almost allowed Castagne to open the scoring with a shot that finally hit the post.
lack of juice
Shaken, jostled regularly by Timber, he was not annoyed, nor complained… On the technical level, he responded present. Eden remains Eden with this desire to please, to have fun on a lawn. The gestures were there but the precision was much less over the minutes.
On the physical level, it was to be expected, the fuel ran out quickly, too quickly… The little boost and the famous little jerk that once made the difference on a regular basis are no longer as energetic. The desire is there but it is not enough (yet). After half time it was cooked.
This 117th cap from the captain will not be remembered but it may just be the start of a return to the highest level. Rhythm and the sequence of matches will be necessary even if at 31, you shouldn’t dream, we will probably never see the Eden again which dazzled the entire planet at the World Cup in Russia… 4 years ago.
The most important thing is that he believes in a return to the top. It is the most important. This is what allowed a former teammate, Vincent Kompany, to overcome periods in the past when the end seemed inevitable. The former Anderlecht coach pushed the limits. The mind is crucial here… Eden wants to prove that he still has great things to do on the pitch and it’s not for nothing that he decided to continue the adventure in Madrid even if he didn’t guaranteed to play.
A little patience and faith in a player who has given so much to the national team.
