Revealed: Chelsea land huge windfall thanks to Real Madrid’s Champions League win
Robin Bairner
- 30 May 2022 19:02 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea will be unlikely benefactors in Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph over Liverpool in Paris on Saturday.
A single goal from Vinicius Junior was enough to land the Spanish side their 14th European Cup, but it has come at a cost due to a clause in the transfer deal that took Eden Hazard to the Bernabeu in 2019.
The Belgium international was an unused substitute for the final and only played 83 minutes of the competition. Over an hour of these were against Sheriff in a shock 2-1 home defeat, while the other outings were brief substitute displays against Inter and PSG.
Related articles
Nevertheless, the Daily Mail reports that Chelsea are in line to receive a €17.5 million (£15m) bonus payment thanks to Hazard being part of the squad.
Hazard makes promise to Real Madrid fans
“These have been three difficult years but next year I will give everything for you guys. I’m sure that next year will be mine, I’ve no doubts,” Hazard told fans as Real Madrid presented their trophy to supporters.
Hazard completed a €100m move from Chelsea to Real Madrid in 2019, when he had just a single year left on his deal at Stamford Bridge, but has subsequently failed to deliver.
Indeed, injury has restricted a player once thought of a potential Ballon d’Or winner to just 66 appearances, during which he has scored only six goals and laid on 10 more. His only goal during the 2021/22 campaign came in the Copa del Rey, while he mustered just a single assist from 18 league appearances.
This comes in sharp contrast to his time with Chelsea, where he was rarely injured and provided 110 goals and 92 assists in little over 350 outings for the Stamford Bridge club.
When his wages of an estimated €26m per season are factored in, Hazard has cost Los Blancos an estimated €178m over his three seasons and now this €17.5m bonus will arrive on top of that.
