Real Madrid News
‘Makes me proud’ – Eden Hazard reflects on disastrous Real Madrid stint
It has been almost half a year since Eden Hazard announced a surprise retirement from football after Real Madrid terminated his contract at Santiago Bernabeu.
Speaking to Standard Sport, Hazard opened up about his time at Real Madrid, while also revealing whether or not he would like to play football again.
“I think so, but I decided playing football was over because I had a lot of injuries, and I have no regrets,” Hazard said about playing football again.
Hazard, though, enjoys not playing football. “I enjoy it a lot,” he said of his retirement. “I miss my football a bit, especially being with the lads in the dressing room, but I can do what I want now.
“I have kids and a family. I can go to Belgium to see my family, brothers and parents. I can do a lot of things.”
The Belgian did appear in a charity match earlier this year – featuring alongside the likes of Didier Drogba and Kaka, among others.
Hazard looked much healthier compared to a few years ago when he had gained weight and struggled to perform at Santiago Bernabeu.
In fact, his spell at Real Madrid was marred by a series of injuries and inconsistency. Looking at his spell, though, Hazard said he still feels proud to have represented Los Blancos.
“Shining at Real Madrid was my dream even if the story was not that good with injuries and this and that. When I look back, and you can see some pictures of me wearing the white Real Madrid shirt, it makes me proud,” he said.
Hazard spent four years at Real Madrid, but he could only muster up 76 competitive appearances.
Finally, Eden Hazard revealed that he is not interested in a management role in the future, though he did express his desire to coach young players.
“I don’t think I’ll coach professionally, but I think I can coach for youth teams. I have kids, and I want to teach them how to play football,” he concluded.
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
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