Ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard has announced his retirement from football, stating, “You need to say stop at the right time”.
The Belgian was the star of the show during his time at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles during his career at Stamford Bridge. After joining Real Madrid in 2019, Hazard has struggled to find the same form, with injuries affecting his playing time, which saw him only play 54 games for the Spanish giants.
Hazard told BBC Sport: “You must listen to yourself and say stop at the right time.
“After 16 years and more than 700 matches played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer.”
Hazard announced his retirement from international football in December 2022 after Belgium were knocked out in the World Cup group stages.
Whilst he may not have featured as much for Real as opposed to Chelsea, he still won the Champions League, a Club World Cup, a European Super Cup, two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups. But his expected goalscoring form did not follow his journey to Spain as he scored just seven goals in 76 appearances in all competitions.
His move to Chelsea in the summer of 2012, signing for a reported £32m, saw him go on to become a club great, winning the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2014-15.
Hazard scored 110 goals across 352 appearances for the Blues, including the winner in the 2019 Europa League final, which was his final appearance for the club.
“During my career, I was lucky to meet great managers, coaches and teammates – thank you to everyone for these great times; I will miss you all.
“I also want to thank the clubs I have played for, LOSC, Chelsea and Real Madrid, and thank the RBFA for my Belgian selection.
“A special thank you to my family, my friends, my advisors and the people who have been close to me in good times and bad.
“Finally, a huge thank you to you, my fans, who have followed me for all these years and for your encouragement everywhere I have played.”
Hazard is one of only four players in Premier League history – alongside Thierry Henry, Matt Le Tissier and Eric Cantona – to score 15 or more goals and provide 15 or more assists in a single season.
