Hazard rules out Real Madrid exit
Cameron Smith
- 24 May 2022 17:00 BST
- 3 min read
Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard has confirmed his intention to stay at the club despite his struggles since arriving from Chelsea.
Hazard, 31, has suffered 15 separate injuries during his time at Real Madrid, in comparison to just nine during his seven years at Stamford Bridge.
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The Belgian superstar joined Los Blancos after contributing 38 goals and assists in his final season at Chelsea, but is yet to hit even half that tally in three full years at Real Madrid.
This season, Vinicius Junior has risen to prominence in Hazard's preferred position with 41 goal contributions in all competitions.
Furthermore, Rodrygo has hit form as the Spanish giants' season draws to a close, while Marco Asensio has enjoyed his best ever goal-scoring campaign in a Los Blancos shirt.
As a result, Hazard has made just seven league starts this year, with only one of those coming in 2022.
However, despite barely featuring this year, due to the form of others and his own injury problems, Hazard has confirmed his desire to remain at the club he dreamt of playing for during his younger years.
What has Hazard said?
The former Lille and Chelsea man has told VTM Nieuws: "Everybody knows that I’ve a contract until 2024. My first 3 seasons have not gone well, so I want to show everybody what I can do.
"It's always been a dream to play for Real. It still is," he added.
Back in April, Hazard's younger brother Kylian told RTL Sport that he believes his brother will be patient in order to prove himself to the Madrid fans. He's not going to let go of Real until he proves he's the strongest there," Kylian said. "He's proven himself at every club he's been to, and for me, he doesn't want to leave.
"I don't think he's going to leave," he continued. "I can assure you one thing: he will do everything possible to prove that he is the best player at Real."
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti also confirmed Hazard's plans earlier in May, saying: "His plan is quite clear: he is staying and he is doing so with a lot of motivation because he has had a tough time in these last years. He wants to show his quality."
