CHELSEA STAR SPEARHEADS BELGIUM’S BID FOR GLORY
own up front in the first half. Even though we have good players, it is not easy for us to play with a man short.
“I wanted him to try to get more involved in the game, especially during the first half - as we know what he can do.”
It is rare for an international captain to be so blunt about a teammate, but Hazard has never shied away from speaking his mind.
He recently admitted that he needs opponents to rough him up in matches to bring out his steely side and sharpen his focus.
“If during a match I’ve got the ball and no-one tackles me, I’ll be rubbish. That’s for sure,” he said.
“I need people who really take me on and get me 100 percent into the match. Foul, boom, you provoke him and you’ve got a free-kick, and with that free-kick you then get an opportunity.
“I’m not sure it’s the best way, but it’s the way I play that works like that anyway. I have always said that for me, the more fouls, the better. It means I’m playing well.”
Both Hazard’s mother and father were footballers in Belgium and so perhaps he was destined to turn professional after growing up in that environment.
level." All three of his brothers are footballers too, with Thorgan the most successful to date at German Bundesliga side Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Eden was scouted for the academy side of Lille at the age of 14 and moved to France, making his first team debut two years later.
After four seasons in Ligue 1, he signed for Chelsea and has been a fixture in the side ever since, playing exactly 300 games in all competitions for the London club, an average of 50 per season and an amazing display not only of his consistency, but also his ability to stay injuryfree.
Belgium are next in action on Thursday against England and TAB soccer punters are best advised to look to Hazard to pull the strings in midfield and give his team a full haul of nine points in the group. "I am the only black coach in this World Cup. That is true, but really these are debates that disturb me. I think that football is a universal sport and that the colour of your skin is of very little importance." "He's not a leader. He's no Ronaldo in that regard.
Messi is one of the best players ever, but he needs to show that mentality. He needs to wake up! When things go well with Barcelona he's a terrific player. We've seen it in the Champions League though, when things don't go well, he can disappear on the pitch. He's not there anymore. He's not running, he's walking. He's not concerned about the ball. Come on."