Real Madrid News
Real Madrid winger’s place in the national team being questioned amidst struggles
While Eden Hazard may have been struggling endlessly at Real Madrid, his place in the Belgium national team has never come under threat.
The 31-year-old’s powers have been on the wane over the past three years since he joined Los Blancos, as a consequence of which his game-time has taken a huge hit.
In spite of his ordeals at the club level, Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has always placed his faith in the former Chelsea superstar, with Hazard even being the captain of the Red Devils.
However, according to latest reports from MARCA, the Real Madrid winger’s spot in the Belgium national is being questioned ahead of the World Cup due to his underwhelming form as well as fitness problems.
In a recent interview with RTBF, as relayed by the aforementioned outlet, Martinez continued to put his faith in Hazard, as he said:
“Hazard is still a very important player for the national team, that’s for sure. His experience, his influence over opponents, his ability to eliminate a man, to create danger… In this profile, he is still, in my opinion, one of the best in the world.”
However, the former Everton manager himself expressed doubts over whether Hazard can play continuously for a run of six or seven games in quick succession as would be needed at the World Cup.
“But now we have to ask ourselves if he can still play 90 minutes or seven games in a very short period of time. Everyone knows that Eden has played very few games for a long time and that has consequences,” he said.
So far this season, Hazard has played just four matches in all competitions for Real Madrid, scoring and assisting one goal apiece – both of which came in a single game against Celtic.
As for the Belgian national team, the 31-year-old has not scored a goal in nine matches.
Given that his game-time is unlikely to improve any time soon, question marks are bound to raise over whether he warrants a place in the Belgium team which has some talented stars like Charles De Ketelaere and Leandro Trossard waiting for an opportunity.
Jose Felix Diaz has reported via MARCA that Real Madrid want a major change in the Spanish refereeing system.
The reporter writes that the team from the Spanish capital has taken the issue as their top priority mostly because of what happened in the recent derby defeat against Atletico Madrid.
Los Blancos are determined to relentlessly steer a significant overhaul of the refereeing structure, and they have no intention of resting in their pursuit.
Their discontent comes not only from recent events, particularly the contentious derby match but also from a deep-seated frustration with the state of refereeing itself.
Real Madrid not hiding their discontent
The journalist mentions that Real Madrid are unapologetic about their continuous criticism of the refereeing community, firmly believing that a transformation is of utmost importance.
Even prior to the emergence of the Negreira case, the Merengues had been vocal about their dissatisfaction with those responsible for overseeing the refereeing unit.
For what it is worth, the revelation of the former vice president of the CTA’s financial ties to Barcelona only solidified Real Madrid’s resolve to advocate for a complete overhaul in referee management.
Real Madrid are suspicious
Real Madrid firmly assert that any influence from Negreira’s historical decisions in certain key positions raises suspicions about the fairness of the competition.
For that, the management will do everything in its power to achieve a certain level of transparency within the organization that it believes is currently overshadowed by historical baggage.
As of today, Real Madrid continue to voice their concerns through their official channels.
Right now their ultimate goal is to eliminate the involvement of Clos Gomez in VAR decisions, marking the beginning of a long-standing battle they are fighting.
