"I tell myself, I can't prove it" - Eden Hazard claims 'useless' Chelsea diet change did not lead to failure at Real Madrid
Chelsea legend Eden Hazard has claimed that having to change his Stamford Bridge diet when he moved to Real Madrid had nothing to do with his poor performances.
Notably, the winger was world-class throughout his time with the Blues, making a total of 146 direct goal contributions in 245 Premier League games. He won the league with Chelsea twice, also helping them win the Europa League in style. However, his move to Real Madrid seemed to be where everything went wrong.
He scored just seven goals for Real Madrid across 76 games, a very stark difference from his goalscoring form at Chelsea. There had been claims that his difficulties were directly linked to his feeding and lifestyle, but in an interview with L'Equipe, Hazard rubbished those claims (via Mirror):
“My body is making me pay for all these years when I started early, burned without almost ever stopping, every blow taken. Not because I ate this or that. I tell myself, I can't prove it. Those who know everything will say, 'It’s because he wasn’t paying attention'."
He continued:
“I accept, everyone has their own opinion. At Real, I had a series of injuries. Sometimes I didn't even know how or why. You wake up, you get out of bed, you hurt yourself. Stop, what? My body is tired, it can't do it anymore. He needs to rest but he can't."
He also responded to accusations of being overweight while playing for Real Madrid:
“I'm not going to say that I was abusing it. I wasn't paying attention. But I didn't go to McDonald's every day. You don't last 16 years pro. I didn't give it any importance. I'm a bon vivant, I like to eat. With friends, we have a drink. It happened to me the day before a match, eating at home, drinking a small bottle, tack."
The Chelsea legend continued, calling diets "useless":
“Oh my, Boxing Day, it's Christmas, raclettes, wine [he claps his hands]. We were going I don't know where [but he scored] goal, goal - while people tell me to be careful. It's weird. Diets sucks, it's useless. Well, it's good if you want to play until you're 40. I knew that wouldn't be my case. A little Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, it’s in the fridge all the time.”
Real Madrid, Chelsea, others set to battle for Newcastle superstar's signature
Real Madrid are set to compete with top European clubs for Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes this summer. The 26-year-old has been a rising star for the Magpies in the Premier League, and this has seen other top clubs, including Chelsea, place him on their radar.
According to reports from TeamTalk, Los Blancos are prepared to get into a bidding war for his services, as Newcastle are currently looking to sell him. The Magpies are dealing with FFP rules, and they need to raise funds to ensure they do not cross the limits.
Their willingness to let him go to stabilize their finances will mean that he could potentially move to a top club, with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain all interested. Where he could end up in the summer remains pure speculation, though.