"He did not mean to offend" - Real Madrid manager speaks about Eden Hazard laughing incident with his former Chelsea teammates
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, while addressing the media, has said winger Eden Hazard has apologized to him and his teammates after the Belgian was seen laughing with his former Chelsea teammates.
Eden Hazard's off-the-field antics were a major talking point when Zidane faced the media ahead of Real Madrid's crucial tie against Sevilla.
However, Zidane was quick to say that the Belgian had apologized and it was time to move on from that debacle against Chelsea. Addressing the media, Zidane said:
"Hazard has already apologized for what happened the other day."
Real Madrid manager looking to move on from Hazard's "laughgate" against Chelsea
Eden Hazard has had a terrible time at Real Madrid since his big-money move from Chelsea. Thus, any off-field behavior catches the eye of the media.
Real Madrid had a torrid night at Stamford Bridge last week, losing 2-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate against Chelsea, allowing the Blues to reach their third Champions League final where they will face fellow Premier League side Manchester City.
Eden Hazard was seen laughing with his former Chelsea team-mates after the game, angering Real Madrid fans worldwide. The 30-year failed to make an impact on the game as well, which added salt to the wounds of Los Blancos fans.
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane had the following to say whilst talking to the press:
"He didn't mean to offend anybody and he has said that. He is a Real Madrid player and will compete for Real Madrid."
Zidane agreed that Hazard would have to perform on the pitch to silence his critics. Zidane also seemed to have moved on from the incident which caught the limelight in Real Madrid's Champions League defeat to Chelsea.
Zidane said:
"He knows what he has to do on the pitch and he'll do that. We spoke after the match the other day. He spoke with me, the players and the club about what happened. It's now in the past."
Real Madrid fans are not happy with Eden Hazard, who was brought in for huge money to be the heir to Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Hazard's career has taken a nosedive since his arrival at the Bernabéu Stadium.
In the past two seasons, Hazard has only managed to make 40 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring a mere 4 goals in the process.
Los Blancos' fans are the most demanding fans in football. Hazard's poor form, along with this laughing incident with his former Chelsea team-mates, hasn't gone down well with them.