Eden Hazard faces the third season at Real Madrid with the aim of finally settling into the starting eleven and leave behind all those physical discomforts and confidence problems that have plagued him in his first months as a Real Madrid player. Whether he succeeds or not will only tell time, but, of course, there is a nuance that will be key in all his progress: the mentality. A top-level footballer faces a major difficulty: being able to recover after serious injuries and not be afraid to step back onto the pitch. Precisely this and the relapses have been key in the low performance of the Belgian. But he, first of all, shone with a head worthy of praise, Chelsea’s best ability to overcome. This is demonstrated by a study from 2018, his last in London.
–
–
During that year Tim and Malcolm Harkness, father and son of Chelsea workers, were in charge of psychologically coding the players. The results were somewhat surprising, especially because of the enormous difference that they explain that there was between Hazard and the rest of his teammates. They conscientiously measured every action: a pass, a tackle, a shot … In every game, in every training session. Thus, they developed a points system that allowed to quantify the level of the footballers and their degree of motivation in each action. The study was exhaustive, as recognized by one of its authors: “Nobody has analyzed stocks so much from a psychological point of view“.
The study was carried out throughout the season, although ten games were already enough to draw conclusions. “Before leaving, Hazard broke the records every time we studied him. In every game he played, he made everyone else look like they hadn’t done anything for the entire match.“The Harkness admit. In that season, no one doubted Hazard’s performance, but, in this case, it is not the issue to be discussed. The Belgian was the best player at that Chelsea, although the analysis did not take quality into account. but the character and motivation when competing: “There were always little things that you did not expect, like when you watch a game and you think that a player has not done so well. But he always had a lot of actions in which he showed his confidence. “
–
–
Hazard’s evolution
To put more into context why this issue has brought Hazard upside down, it is worth noting the evolution of the footballer in the face of the media. Fortunately for him, he was able to play the European Championship with Belgium, after being in dry dock with Real Madrid for most of the season. In the continental tournament, his usual leadership was not appreciated and his team was disappointed not to come close to the champion title. Perhaps it was influenced by the fact that the Madridista’s energy was not going through its best moment: “I have never doubted my qualities, but I have doubted a little if I will be 100 percent fit in this tournament. I broke my ankle three times. I may never be the same again as ten years ago when my career began, but I know that if I am in shape I can prove myself in the field. It’s what I think about ”.
Now, he seems to have left all his physical problems behind to turn the page and live his first great season in the capital. At the moment, in his first game he gave a spectacular assist to Benzema with the heel, key in the team’s take-off, which ended up winning 1-4 at Alavés. In addition, unlike other past duels, he did not teach panic to relapse or special protection on his ankle. His statements make sense again in his performance: “The ankle is out of my head”. If so, the best Hazard may be back. A talent that fell in love with the football planet and whose injuries have taken their toll in every way. Having recovered his footing, it remains to be seen if Eden is capable of reinventing himself and being who he was again. For the moment, his public interventions make believe that he is back.
–
