After the Belgian fiasco, Eden Hazard says goodbye to the Red Devils and we explain why he is sad

What happened to the leader of the golden generation? At just 31 years old, Eden Hazard says goodbye to the Red Devils. In the Instagram post where he announces the news, the player confides: “I have decided to end my international career. The succession is ready. I’ll miss you…After 14 years of faithful service, Eden Hazard leaves the Belgian selection without having won the slightest title.

The Belgian fiasco looks like the end of a cycle. In addition to the poor results, tensions were present in the locker room. Some of the older players were expected to retire, but not Eden Hazard. At just 31, he could think of playing in the next European Championship, or even the 2026 World Cup.

More and more players continue to perform well into their thirties. Benzema was crowned Ballon d’Or at 34 and Messi (35) continues to lead Argentina. Ronaldo (37) has also remained strong, although he has struggled more this season.

It was Luka Modric who was voted the best player of the 2018 World Cup, however, it was Eden Hazard who splashed this edition with his talent. On a cloud for a summer’s time, everything worked out for him. During the defeat against France, Eden Hazard martyred our right and almost opened the scoring. We all remember his cross of him grazing the post of a beaten Hugo Lloris.

The following year, Eden Hazard chained the best performances with Chelsea. The competition will unfortunately be too tough in the Premier League, the Blues will only finish third in the league. For once, the Belgian will reach a European competition. Scorer of a brace in the final against Arsenal, he lifted the Europa League with Chelsea, for what would prove to be his last season at the London club.

This is the last time we will see Eden Hazard at this level. His transfer to Real Madrid is a failure. Little used by his coaches, he is often injured and underperforming. The winger will certainly win titles, but with little involvement. LOSC’s little genius is only a shadow of his former self.

He wanted to take advantage of this parenthesis in Qatar to prove that he “it wasn’t finished” :

“With the pace of the matches I will find my level. I haven’t gone bad in a few months.

The disillusionment was harsh. It is perhaps for this reason that Eden Hazard renounces the selection. He presumably wants to focus on his club’s performance. In 12 appearances for Real Madrid this year, he has only been involved in two goals.

Often derided, Eden Hazard has long been Belgium’s technical leader. Rich in individuality, the Red Devils have often struggled to build a real collective. When they performed well, the reason was the genius of Eden Hazard or Kevin de Bruyne. More struggling in recent years, the Belgian captain has remained an important part of the selection.

He wouldn’t be the first to return to selection after retiring from international football. It will certainly depend on his performance. Going forward, Eden Hazard should focus on club football, to try to return to the top level. If he succeeds, it’s not impossible that he will point the tip of his nose for one last international campaign.