Maurizio Sarri on Hazard: The Chelsea manager has issued a strong statement on Eden Hazard over speculations he might leave Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea faced a stunning 2-0 defeat over the weekend against Arsenal. The race for the top-four has now grown intense with all the three sides – Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United within a gap of three points of each other.
Chelsea’s manager Maurizio Sarri was annoyed with his players and attacked them in the post-match conference for lack of ‘motivation.’
According to reports, Andreas Christensen’s unprofessional behaviour has further angered the Chelsea manager as well.
And now, Sarri has made some rather strong remarks on Chelsea’s star footballer, Eden Hazard.
Maurizio Sarri on Hazard:
In the press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup semifinal against Tottenham, Maurizio Sarri addressed the concerns surrounding Hazard’s speculated move away from the club.
The manager stated that Hazard is still in the process of reaching a final decision over his Chelsea future, hence confirming that there’s a chance Hazard might leave the club.
“He’s not decided yet if he wants to stay here or if he wants a new experience in another club,” said Sarri.
“I don’t know exactly the situation, but I think Eden at the moment doesn’t know the final choice.”
However, he also criticised the Chelsea attacker for his inconsistent performances off late, calling him an ‘individual player.’
“I don’t know in this moment,” Sarri said when asked if Hazard possesses the ‘leadership qualities’. The Chelsea manager has previously stated that Cesar Azipilicueta and David Luiz are players ‘players with the characteristics to be leaders.’
“In this moment, he’s more an individual player than a leader. He is very important for us, of course, because he is a great player. He always can win the match in two minutes. Sometimes in one minute.
“But, at the moment, he’s not a leader. He’s a great player. One of the best in the world.”
Eden Hazard has been heavily linked with a move to Santiago Bernabeu, and according to Spanish outlet Sport, the player is set to leave for Real Madrid in a deal worth around £14.5m/year.
