867 days. 37 matches. 4 goals and 8 assists. These numbers depict the painful tale of Eden Hazard's stint with Real Madrid so far; one laced with injuries and multiple setbacks. Since moving to Spanish La Liga from Chelsea in the summer of 2019, superstar Hazard has endured a torrid time at a club where fans expect nothing short of brilliance on a daily basis. Hence, ahead of the upcoming El Clasico clash against Barcelona and while keeping these numbers in mind, Former Real Madrid player Fernando Sanz reckons this season could well be his last if he doesn't turn it around.
Thirty-year-old Hazard has not been able to weave the same magic as that at Stamford Bridge (where he played 245 matches) and his fitness has come under heavy scrutiny after a string of injuries. The criticism has therefore fuelled the rumour of mill of a possible transfer back to Chelsea.
Moreover, with the likes of Vinicius Junior and Eduardo Camavinga putting in one impressive performance after another, the pressure on the Belgian international continues to be on a steep rise.
Former defender Sanz, who is also the director of the ambassadors project, La Liga, explained that at a club like Madrid, if a player of Hazard's stature does not live up to the expectations, they begin to run out of time as everyone starts getting frustrated.
While answering the Hindustan Times' question, during a press meet organized by La Liga, on whether the Spanish giants will run out of patience or persist with him if he fails to deliver in yet another season, Sanz commented:
"When (Eden) Hazard arrived at Real Madrid, everyone had a lot of expectations from him because at the point of time, he was the best football player in the world. But the issue with him after arriving at Real Madrid was that he was not in his best physical condition. Hence, he suffered a lot of injuries.
"At Real Madrid, if you don't achieve your targets, everyone becomes very nervous. In three years at Real Madrid, the situation of Hazard has been very complicated because he hasn't given the club everything they expected of him. Everyone in Real Madrid is waiting for the best from Hazard. And it is for sure that if Hazard doesn't deliver as per Real Madrid's expectations, he could leave the club by the end of the year."
Speaking about the flip side of the coin, that is promising youngsters in the league, Sanz touts Barcelona's kid wonder, Ansu Fati, to be the club's next flag bearer after Lionel Messi's departure.
"The new flag-bearer, as all the Barcelona fans also believe, will be Ansu Fati. That is because he is now wearing the no.10 jersey after Messi. Ansu Fati has been fantastic after his recovery from the injury. He can be their next superstar, so it has be him," claimed Sanz.
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