SOCCER
Eden Hazard “happy” with “perfect life” after rejecting MLS and retiring from football
The Belgian recently retired from professional football and was present at the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony, where he talked about his now “perfect life”.
Recently retired Eden Hazard was present in yesterday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, where the Belgian was given the honour of presenting Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham with the Kopa Trophy, the award given to the best u-21 player in the world.
Last June, Real Madrid and Hazard arrived at an agreement which saw the two cut their ties with each other and go their separate ways, despite the fact that the player had one year remaining on his deal with the 14-time European champions. Over the summer the former winger had plenty of offers to continue his career in the game, including potential deals with MLS, Saudi Arabia and Belgium, but the player rejected them all in favour of hanging up his boots.
‘I can do what I want and it’s a perfect life’
After the awards ceremony, Hazard stopped to talk to TNT Sport to open up on how he has spent the past few months as a now ex-footballer. “Now my life is perfect”, said Hazard, “I enjoy my life and my family, with the kids.”
“I can do what I want and it’s a perfect life. The decision was easy. You can’t explain everything in life. I’m at peace with myself. I have so many things to do outside football that I was able to make a simple decision”, commented the 32-year-old, who appeared, as well as his words, incredibly happy and content away from the media pressure and the trappings of professional football.
Hazard rejected the chance to join MLS
Hazard was also quizzed about the offers that he received over the summer to continue his career: “I still watch football on the TV when I can” he replied before admitting that he doesn’t miss football “right now”.
“I do other things”. Hazard put it simply when the question came as to why he didn’t take up any offers in MLS or beyond, “I always said that I’d leave football when I stopped enjoying myself on the pitch. I didn’t want to go anywhere for money. It was the best solution. I didn’t enjoy training anymore... and I didn’t play”.
When was Hazard’s last game as a professional footballer?
In his last season at Real Madrid, Hazard appeared just 10 times, playing a total of 392 minutes. His appearances on the pitch were infrequent to say the least and he became less involved as the season wore on. His last goal for Los Blancos was scored an entire year ago in the UEFA Champions League, against Celtic.
The last time he played in an official game was back on May 13 against Getafe at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, in a tie that saw plenty of rotations to the side due to the fact that it was sandwiched between two huge matches against Manchester City (1-1, 4-0) in the Champions League semi-finals. On that day, nobody imagined it would be the Belgian’s last game as a professional, but at least the former player is happy with how his life has turned out.