The Special One questions Eden Hazard’s commitment to the Chelsea cause.
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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has hit back at Eden Hazard after the Belgian winger appeared to criticise his tactics following Wednesday’s Champions League exit.
Just hours after a 3-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid sent the Blues out of Europe’s premier club competition, Hazard was quoted as saying: “Chelsea aren’t set up to play football.”
Mourinho has refused to take the comment as a criticism, instead suggesting that it was merely the player’s way of describing the team’s direct counter-attacking style of play.
However, the Special One was far from complimentary when discussing Hazard in Friday afternoon’s press conference.
BBC Sport quotes him as saying: “When the comments come from a player like Eden it’s normal because he’s not the kind of player to sacrifice himself for the team,” said Mourinho.
“He’s not mentally ready to look to his left-back and leave his life for him.
“Normally you get these kind of comments from players like him, from players that can’t resolve a problem like we had with the first goal.
“If you see Atletico’s first goal, you completely understand where the mistake was and why we conceded that goal.”
“I’m not happy. I’ve tried to improve him all season.”
Hazard is Chelsea’s leading goalscorer this season, having netted 14 times in 33 Premier League appearances. The 23-year-old has also provided seven top-flight assists.
Hazard’s public war of words with Mourinho is likely to fuel talk of a summer move away from Stamford Bridge.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain are rumoured to be keen on Hazard, who has over three years left to run on his current Chelsea contract.
Hazard has featured 109 times for Chelsea’s first team since arriving in London in a £32m switch from Lille in June 2012.