It is not breaking any news to say that Eden Hazard has not worked out as had been hoped by those at Real Madrid, but the degree and speed of his decline continues to shock.
The Belgian footballer arrived as one of the best in the world, for a fee of €115m, despite having just a year left on his contract. It was thought to the prime of his career and the perfect foil for Karim Benzema on the left-hand side.
Three-and-a-half years later, Hazard is the forgotten man of the Santiago Bernabeu. The now-retired Belgian international did not play in Real Madrid’s Spanish Supercup semi-final or final, even with Los Blancos struggling to break down defences in both games.
It has led to the extension of a remarkable run – Hazard is still yet to play in an El Clasico. Nine have taken place since he arrived in Madrid and he has not seen a single minute, as per Marca.
The reality is the other numbers from this season do not paint a better picture. Yet to play 300 minutes, Hazard has not started a match since the 11th of October, just one of two this season.
In the preseason, manager Carlo Ancelotti had stated that Hazard would play as an option in case of Benzema’s absence. Even with the Frenchman often missing in the first part of the season though, Hazard remained unable to convince the Italian he could hold up.
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