Real Madrid News
National team manager defends Real Madrid winger against ‘lazy’ comments on weight
Eden Hazard is set to play a critical role for Belgium in the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, the forward has been far from important in the Real Madrid squad, having fallen behind the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and even Marco Asensio in the pecking order.
The former Chelsea superstar has faced criticism not only for his performances but also for his physical shape. Many fans have indeed criticised the forward at the start of the season, calling him ‘overweight’.
However, in a recent interview with talkSPORT, Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has criticised the fans who called out Hazard for his physical shape, labelling the comments as ‘lazy’.
“Eden Hazard can have bad games and can have moments when he’s not at his best. People say it’s because of his body shape or he’s carrying too much body fat.
“Well, he’s carrying the same body fat when he makes a difference. You need to understand that it’s a player based on his talent and not a player based on the physicality he brings to the game,” he said.
Hazard may have scored only seven goals for Real Madrid in all competitions, but he does have a stellar record against Belgium. He has featured in 122 matches for his country, scoring 33 goals.
“He’s got his strengths in taking people on in this one-vs-one action. If he doesn’t play well then the easy comment, the lazy comment, is that he’s not as thin or athletic as he should be.
“I think that’s an irrelevant comment and I see it as a lazy comment. Eden can have good games and bad games, but he always has the same body shape,” Martinez added.
With the World Cup less than three weeks away, Hazard will be hoping to play a starring role for his country and help the highly talented Belgian team secure the coveted title for the first time. The Red Devils will kickstart their campaign on November 23 when they take on Canada at Al Rayyan Stadium.
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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