Eden Hazard made an emotional return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday. It came six years after leaving Chelsea for Real Madrid. He donned the famous blue shirt once again for the Chelsea Legends against Liverpool Legends.
The charity match was organized to support the Chelsea FC Foundation and the Chelsea Players’ Trust. It featured a number of club icons from both sides, including John Terry, Diego Costa, and Claude Makelele. The 34-year-old Belgian retired from football in October 2023.
He received a warm ovation from the home crowd. Unfortunately for him, Chelsea Legends lost 1-0 to their Liverpool counterparts. It was courtesy of Ryan Babel’s late goal. Hazard thrilled fans with flashes of the flair that defined his time at the club. Speaking at half-time, the former winger joked:
“I think I can still play a bit. It’s been two years since I stopped but it’s always good to be back here at the Bridge with all the fans… I miss playing football, I miss playing football in a big stadium like today, but I play in the garden with my kids. I have five boys, they are all Chelsea fans.”
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While the night celebrated his Chelsea legacy, Hazard also reflected on his difficult spell at Real Madrid. It was marked by injuries and frustration. His £100 million move in 2019 was supposed to mark the pinnacle of his career. Yet it yielded only 76 appearances.
In those few appearances, he scored seven goals across four years. Speaking to Marca during his time in Spain, Hazard admitted, “I’m really sorry about what has happened. I have one more year and I have to show [what I can do], but it isn’t easy. I’m not playing, I want to play more.”
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Later, he did in an interview with the French media house L’Equipe. There, he confessed that he never truly fit in at the Bernabeu. He said, “Real Madrid is special… but I don’t think that I fit in. Maybe I needed to train more. I also had the worst injuries at the worst times.”
However, at Stamford Bridge, Hazard looked relaxed and content. He smiled, joked, and shared laughs with his former teammates. His return reminded fans why he remains one of Chelsea’s most beloved figures. He’s a player whose brilliance and charm still light up Stamford Bridge, even in retirement.
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