Chelsea transfer news: Jose Mourinho says Eden Hazard has what it takes to succeed at Real Madrid

The former Chelsea manager believes Hazard has the talent and personality to fit in at Madrid if he leaves the Premier League for Spain

Monday 25 February 2019 09:38 GMT
Comments
Maurizio Sarri says Kepa Arrizabalaga incident was a 'big misunderstanding'

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Belgian international Eden Hazard has the talent and personality to succeed at Real Madrid if he chooses to leave Chelsea for the La Liga giants, his former manager Jose Mourinho has said.

Hazard, who will become a free agent in June 2020, said last year it was his dream to play for 13-times European champions Real, and British media have since reported that talks with Chelsea over a contract extension have been put on hold.

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri said last month that Hazard was free to leave the Premier League club if the 28-year-old had his heart set on a move.

"Does he have the talent to play for Real Madrid? He does," former Real boss Mourinho, who managed Hazard at Chelsea from 2013 to 2015, told sports streaming service DAZN Espana.

"Does he have the personality to put on a 'super-heavy' shirt and play in front of the fans at the Bernabeu? Yes, he has the personality.

"Regarding Eden's ambitions... be it playing for Chelsea his whole life or playing for a giant like Real Madrid, I can't say, because I haven't spoken to him for a long time."

Mourinho, who has been working as a television pundit and soccer show host since being sacked as Manchester United manager in December, also said he wanted to return to football management before the start of next season.

"In this short phase of my life, which I hope is only until June, I'm more concerned about what others would do than what I would do," he added.

Reuters

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in