Eden Hazard questions Chelsea role under Antonio Conte

Posted by

Chelsea ace Eden Hazard has revealed his frustration at not being played as a No.10 by Antonio Conte like he is when featuring for Belgium.

The 25-year-old has made nine appearances in all competitions so far this season for Chelsea, scoring twice and providing one assist thus far.

It follows on from a disappointing campaign for him last year, but there were positive signs towards the end of the season and during Euro 2016 that he was getting back to his top form.

However, while it has dipped again this year, his latest comments will do little to ease any fears that Chelsea supporters may have over the Belgian international, as he doesn’t sound best pleased with not having the chance to play through the middle at Stamford Bridge.

“I like to play as a No 10,” he said, as reported by The Times. “I think I have more freedom offensively. Belgium have full backs who run hard and create a lot of space with the national team, which is good and I like to play there.

“I don’t know if I can play there for Chelsea, you need to ask the manager. I play on the left-hand side, and I try to do the best I can. But I do like to play there [at No 10]. At Chelsea we don’t often play with that system.”

Hazard’s comments are unlikely to make any difference to Conte’s thinking, as the Italian tactician will undoubtedly do what he feels is best for the team.

In turn, he may well decide to switch things up himself, but the likelihood is that Hazard will have to continue to play his current role and sacrifice himself for what his coach believes will be the biggest benefit for the club.

It will be interesting to see if that frustration leads to anything next year in the transfer window, but for now all parties concerned will be focused on helping Chelsea climb the table and compete for trophies.

More Stories Eden Hazard