'I don't miss it!' - Hazard breaks silence after retirement
Tom Weber
- Updated: 31 Oct 2023 13:41 GMT
- 3 min read
Eden Hazard has revealed that he is very happy after having retired earlier this month.
The Chelsea legend called it quits on an illustrious career that ultimately petered out in early October 2023. Persistent injury problems meant that he departed Real Madrid in the summer as one of the biggest flops in club history.
Los Blancos had shelled out €115 million on the then-Chelsea star in 2019, but he never managed to recapture the stunning form he had shown at Stamford Bridge. His decision to retire was ultimately unsurprising given that it had been rumoured to be his preferred course of action since his release, but at 32, many felt that he still had something to give.
READ: Wonderkid's agent confirms transfer talks amid Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd interest
Indeed, shortly after his retirement, the Belgian returned to the pitch for a charity match and was the star of the show, even assisting Kylian Mbappe's father with a backheel pass, but the ex-winger insists that he does not miss playing the game.
What did Hazard say?
Speaking to the media after arriving at the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony, Hazard said of life after football: "It’s perfect. It’s perfect. I’m enjoying life and family with the kids. I can do what I want and it’s a perfect life."
Asked whether he still watches the game, the Belgian responded in the affirmative: "Of course. I have kids. They play football. I watch it on TV when I can. I do other things also but at the moment I don't miss playing football. Let's see in a few months."
READ: What Bellingham must do to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or
Earlier this month, Hazard revealed that playing football had become a chore for him. "I always said," he told L'Avenir, "that I would stop as soon as I didn't have fun on the pitch anymore. I didn't want to go and play somewhere for the money."
"It [retiring] was the best solution. I didn't enjoy training anymore...And I wasn't playing anymore. The decision was simple."
