Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard era is officially over. It didn’t go as planned.
The club announced on Saturday that they have reached an exit deal with Hazard, ending a tenure that began with a $114million move from Chelsea and saw him play just 54 games in total, with four goals, for Los Blancos. He was previously under contract until 2024.
Madrid noted Hazard’s presence during his successes during this period and wished him and his family the best of luck. The full statement:
Real Madrid Football Club and Eden Hazard have reached an agreement under which the player will leave the club as of June 30, 2023.
Eden Hazard has been with our club for four seasons, during which he won 8 titles: 1 European Cup, 1 Club World Cup, 1 European Super Cup, 2 La Liga titles, 1 Copa del Rey and 2 Spanish Super Cups.
Real Madrid would like to express their affection for Eden Hazard and wish him and his family the best of luck for the next stage of his career.
The 32-year-old Hazard’s time at Madrid has been defined by frequent injuries and a related decline in form. He got off to a bad start when he showed up to his first training camp overweight after becoming the most expensive player in club history, then suffered a hamstring injury shortly after. . A more serious ankle injury occurred months later, and the beatings kept coming from there.
Hazard’s exact injury count with Real Madrid is unclear but could be considered as high as 18. The most recent was a patellar tendon problem in February.
Now Hazard is free to find a new team with less pressure than the Spanish giants, although it’s not like Madrid are counting on him to carry them this season.