Following his departure from Real Madrid at the end of the previous season, Eden Hazard has declared his retirement from football.
Hazard, 32, paid £89 million to go from Chelsea to Real in 2019 but only appeared in 54 league games for the Spanish powerhouses.
He achieved success at Stamford Bridge by winning two Premier League championships.
Since his contract expired in June, Hazard has been an unrestricted free agent. “You must listen to yourself and say stop at the right time,” Hazard said.
I have chosen to terminate my career as a professional player after 16 years and more than 700 games.
Hazard continued on social media, “I was fortunate to meet excellent managers, coaches, and teammates during my career. Thank you to everyone for these fantastic times, I shall miss you all.
“I also want to thank the teams I’ve played for, including LOSC, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, as well as the RBFA for selecting me to play for Belgium.
“I would especially like to thank my family, friends, advisors, and those who have been at my side through good and difficult times.
“A big thank you to all of my fans who have supported me over the years and have encouraged me wherever I have performed.
“This is the time for me to be with my loved ones and try new things. Soon, my friend, off the field
The Belgian had previously stepped down from the international game in December of last year after being a member of the group that was eliminated from the 2022 World Cup.
Hazard won the Champions League, a Club World Cup, a European Super Cup, two La Liga championships, one Copa del Rey, and two Spanish Super Cups while he was a member of Real Madrid. However, many people think that his stint in Spain was underwhelming because he only scored 7 goals in 76 games across all competitions.
Hazard began his professional career with French club Lille, where he scored 50 goals in 149 games and helped the team win the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles in 2010–11.
He joined Chelsea in the summer of 2012, reportedly paying £32 million, and went on to become a club legend, scoring 110 goals over 352 appearances, including the winning goal against Arsenal in the 2019 Europa League final in his farewell game for Chelsea.
Hazard continued on social media, “I was fortunate to meet excellent managers, coaches, and teammates during my career. Thank you to everyone for these fantastic times, I shall miss you all.
“I also want to thank the teams I’ve played for, including LOSC, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, as well as the RBFA for selecting me to play for Belgium.
“I would especially like to thank my family, friends, advisors, and those who have been at my side through good and difficult times.
“A big thank you to all of my fans who have supported me over the years and have encouraged me wherever I have performed.
“This is the time for me to be with my loved ones and try new things. Soon, my friend, off the field
