Eden Hazard was once the King of Stamford Bridge and walked on water for the Blues, however, his career went rapidly downhill once he joined Spanish giants, Real Madrid.
Like many before him, the Belgian was swayed by the thought of playing for the club that is often acknowledged as being the best in the world.
Things never worked out for him at the Santiago Bernabeu, and the writing was on the wall when he arrived at the club overweight from a summer of binge eating and drinking.
“Barbecues, rosé, everything. And that’s what allowed me to reset and start again,” he admitted in an interview with France Football (h/t Get French Football News).
“I’m a bon vivant, I like to eat, and with friends, we have a drink… people tell me to be careful.”
Those comments, whilst not necessarily inflammatory, clearly got under the skin of former French ace, Christophe Dugarry.
“It’s very easy to say this now but it should have been said before. It’s when you sign your multi-million contract that you should tell the president that you’re going out that evening,” he told RMC Sport‘s Jerome Rothen.
“Did he say to his manager and teammates that he was getting drunk and that he didn’t like running in training? Football is a professional and team sport. You have obligations.
“You can’t respect everything to the letter but to promote this nonsense is a shame. Hazard was a great player but it’s a shame for the supporters who paid to see him play when he was drunk the day before.
“His interview is making fun of the world of football. If you want to act like a courageous guy, you have to say it before. Why didn’t he tell Zidane this before being signed by Real Madrid for €100 million euros.”
As Dugarry rightly notes, it’s not at all brave to be admitting to such unprofessionalism well after the event.
Had he taken his move to Spain more seriously, there’s little doubt that he could’ve become a Los Blancos great.
Hazard is always likely to be lauded by fans of the West London club but didn’t cover himself in glory once he’d swapped the bright lights of London for the Spanish capital.