“Listen, you will see who is the boss, this weekend” - Ex-Chelsea star shares what Eden Hazard told him after being questioned about training style
Former Chelsea striker Loic Remy had a forgettable spell at the club (2014-17), but he collected a few fond memories from his time there, particularly an interaction with Eden Hazard. The Belgian superstar managed to dazzle the Frenchman in their time together at Stamford Bridge, proving himself as 'the boss' after proclaiming the same.
Remy ended up at Chelsea as a back-up option for Spanish striker Diego Costa in the 2014-15 season. The centre-forward spent three underwhelming years at the club, registering 12 goals and three assists in 47 games. However, he played alongside Hazard, Didier Drogba, Willian, John Terry, Petr Cech, and Cesc Fabregas.
Loic Remy recently spoke about his experience of playing with Hazard, whom he described as 'lazy' because of how he trained. Speaking to Ladbrokes about an instance at the start of his Chelsea career, Remy said he decided to straighten up the Belgian, only to be told off and proved wrong.
Loic Remy said (via Metro):
"I think back to my time at Chelsea and the player who always springs to mind first, for me, is Eden Hazard. This guy was just unbelievable. I was surrounded by so many great players, title winners, experienced names, like John Terry and Didier Drogba – and so I had to remind myself in those first few weeks that I deserved to be there, to be honest; I wasn’t there by accident."
He continued:
"I just wanted to learn from these guys, every single day, and that was pretty much my main target. But then you’ve got that magician, Eden Hazard, in his prime. He impressed me so much; he was so quick and strong. My first game for Chelsea was at Stamford Bridge, and I can remember in the week leading up to the game, Eden was almost lazy in training, losing the ball, not defending; it was just like he was playing with his friends in the street."
"I knew him well from Ligue 1; we knew each other, and so I wanted to speak to him about it after a few sessions… I said to him, 'Eden, that’s the way you train? Really?' He replied, 'Listen, you will see who is the boss, this weekend.' That’s what he said back to me, just like that. So the weekend came along, we’re at home, I’m on the bench, taking everything in because it’s my first time being involved with the team on a match day," Remy added.
"The game started, and I saw him pick up the ball, and it was frightening. It was like he was playing against his kids; it was so easy for him. I came off the bench with about 20 minutes to go, and I ended up scoring off the back of an Eden Hazard run; I received the ball from Oscar, I think, and managed to finish it. So, I’d scored my first goal, I was so happy, it was a really proud moment for me and my family. I get back in the dressing room, and that’s the moment where I could sit down and allow myself to think about what had just happened to me," the Frenchman said.
"And then someone comes and sits next to me… Eden Hazard. He just grabbed me and said, 'I told you: who is the boss?!' I shook his hand and had nothing else to add; he really was the boss in that team," he concluded.
Eden Hazard was a phenomenon at Chelsea, winning the club's Player of the Year award in four of his seven seasons there. He won the Premier League twice and the UEFA Europa League twice, while also winning the FA Cup and League Cup. He finished his Blues career with 110 goals and 85 assists in 352 appearances and was also named the Premier League's Player of the Year once.
Former Chelsea star Oscar returns to Sau Paulo
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Oscar left Sao Paulo for Internacional in 2010 before moving to Chelsea in 2012 and remaining at Stamford Bridge until 2017. He won the Premier League, UEFA Europa League, and League Cup during his time with the Blues before moving to Shanghai Port.
Oscar enjoyed a fruitful spell at Shanghai Port, winning the Chinese Super League title three times. Still only 33 years old, the former Brazil international has secured a return to his boyhood club, signing a three-year deal.