Real Madrid News
Eden Hazard: “I didn’t come to Real Madrid to replace Cristiano Ronaldo”
Former Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard has reflected on the move that defined his career, explaining why joining the Spanish giants was always his ultimate goal.
Speaking about his departure from Chelsea in 2019 on Julien Cazarre’s program on RMC (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Hazard admitted that the idea of wearing white had been in his mind for some time.
“Signing for Real Madrid was my dream. I wanted to leave even before my last season at Chelsea.
“I had said I would stay, but if Real Madrid came looking for me, I would leave,” he remembered.
Unveiling at the Bernabeu
His unveiling at the Santiago Bernabeu remains one of the most memorable presentations in recent years.
A near-capacity crowd welcomed him, something Hazard still recalls with emotion.
“I felt like a kid during my presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu,” he said, recalling that “before arriving at Real Madrid, I heard many warnings about the dressing room and the difficulty of dealing with the players and all that kind of stuff.
“But the reality was completely different. The welcome was fantastic from everyone, from Zidane to the coaching staff to the players.
“I felt very comfortable from my first day at Real Madrid. Ramos, Modric, and Kroos welcomed me. Everyone was great, and everything went perfectly.”
Not a Ronaldo replacement
At the time, many fans viewed him as the successor to Cristiano Ronaldo. Hazard, however, never saw it that way.
“I didn’t come here to replace Cristiano Ronaldo. He scored a lot of goals in every game.
“Sometimes I didn’t even score one. I came here to be Eden Hazard and enjoy myself,” he added.
Unfortunately, injuries quickly disrupted his plans. A heavy challenge from Thomas Meunier proved decisive.
“Thomas Meunier hit me with unforgettable force. It was extremely hard for me and that slowed me down,” said Hazard, who then suffered a relapse in the same area, the ankle, and “that’s when the problems started.”
Rejecting PSG
Hazard also addressed interest from Paris Saint-Germain, confirming he repeatedly rejected their advances. “Every year, I was in contact with PSG.
“Nasser (Al-Khelaïfi) was coming, there was a lot of money, there was always a team to play in the Champions League.
“As things were going so well at Chelsea, my dream after that was to go to Real Madrid, not PSG,” he noted.
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
🆚 @ElcheCF
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