Eden Hazard
Encyclopedia
Eden Hazard is a Belgian
footballer who currently plays for French club Lille
in Ligue 1
and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Hazard is known for his creativity, speed, and technical ability and is described as a "fearless, explosive attacking midfielder who can change the game with a turn of pace or a dribble". He has also been described as "a defender's nightmare" and has earned critical acclaim for his playing style, which has led to the media, coaches, and players drawing comparisons to FIFA World Player of the Year
winners Lionel Messi
and Cristiano Ronaldo
.
Hazard is the son of former Belgian football players Carine and Thierry Hazard and began his football career in Belgium playing for local clubs Royal Stade Brainois and Tubize
. In 2005, he ventured to France joining first division
club Lille. Hazard spent two years in the club's academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November 2007. In his first full season as a starter, he won the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year award becoming the first non-French player to win the award. In the 2009–10 season
, Hazard captured the award again becoming the first player to win the award twice. He was also named to the league's Team of the Year. Since making his debut in 2007, Hazard has become an integral part of the club under manager Rudi Garcia
racking up over 160 appearances. In the 2010–11 season
, he was a part of the Lille team that won the league and cup double
and, as a result of his performances, was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player to win the award.
Hazard is a Belgium international, having represented his nation at under-17 and under-19
level. Prior to starring for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that qualified for the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
and 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
. Hazard made his senior international debut in November 2008, at the age of 17 years and 316 days, in a friendly match against Luxembourg
. Nearly three years after his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan
in October 2011.
, but was raised in Braine-le-Comte
, a small town in the Wallonia region. He grew up in a football dominant family. His mother, Carine, and father, Thierry (not to be confused with the French singer and songwriter of the same name
) were both footballers in Belgium. His father spent most of his career playing in the Belgian Second Division
with R.A.A. Louviéroise
, while his mother played as a striker
in the Belgian Women's First Division. Hazard is the oldest of four children. He has three younger brothers all of whom play football. Thorgan
, 18, currently plays for Lille's most hated rivals
RC Lens
. Hazard's other younger brothers Kylian, 16, and Ethan, seven, remain in Belgium playing in the youth academy of Eden's former club A.F.C. Tubize
. In March 2011, it was reported that a deal had been agreed to allow Kylian to join Lille when he turns 16 in August 2011. Hazard and his three brothers were raised in a comfortable environment with their parents ensuring they had whatever they needed to excel. The family lived "no more than three meters" from a football training ground and the brothers often ventured onto a training pitch through a small hole in order to hone and develop their skills. Hazard is currently in a relationship with girlfriend Natasha. On 19 December, Belgian and French media announced that she had given birth to a baby boy.
. While at Tubize, he was spotted by a Lille scout while playing in a local tournament with the club. The scout's subsequent report on the player prompted club officials to meet with Hazard's father and offer the young player an aspirant (youth) contract. Hazard's parents accepted the offer with hopes that the training facilities in France would be better. Hazard's father later admitted that the decision to let Eden and, later Thorgan, join clubs in the North of France was the best solution stating "They remained so close to home and, at the same time, they integrated at structures where they could grow, because in Belgium, unfortunately, it's a little empty for the training of youth".
Hazard joined Lille in 2005 and spent two years developing in the club's local sports school, due to its youth academy in Luchin not being in operation at that time. On 28 May 2007, he signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal with Lille. At the start of the 2007–08 season, at the age of 16, Hazard was promoted to the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football
, though he still played with Lille's under-18 team in its league and the Coupe Gambardella
. Hazard made his amateur debut on 1 September 2007 in a league match against Racing Club de France appearing as a second half substitute in a 3–1 defeat. He made his first start a week later in the team's 1–0 defeat to Lesquin
.
After spending the majority of October and the early part of November playing with the club's under-18 team, on 14 November, due to several players being on international duty, Hazard was called up to the senior team by manager Claude Puel
to participate in a friendly match against Belgian club Bruges on 16 November. He appeared as a substitute in the match and, as a result of his performance, was included in the 18-man squad to face Nancy
in a league match on 24 November. Hazard, subsequently, made his professional debut in the match coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute. Hazard returned to the club's reserve team and spent December playing with the squad. Following the winter break, Hazard returned to the first team in January and made substitute appearances in three league matches against Metz
, Sochaux
, and Paris Saint-Germain. After-wards, he was relegated back to the amateur level where he played concurrently with the reserve team in the fourth division and the under-18 team in the Coupe Gambardella. On 17 May 2008, he scored his first amateur goal in a 3–2 victory over Vitré
. Hazard finished his amateur career with 11 appearances and one goal helping the reserve team finished in fifth place, which was first among professional clubs' reserve teams playing in the group.
. Early on, he made substitute appearances regularly making his season debut as a substitute on 14 September 2008 against Sochaux in a 1–1 draw. One of his substitute appearances proved beneficial against Auxerre
on 20 September. With Lille trailing 2–1 in the waning minutes of the match, Hazard, after Lille took a corner kick
, quickly scooped up a short clearance from Auxerre and took a right-footed shot just outside the box. It beat the keeper and drew the score 2–2 in the 88th minute. With Lille's confidence high, the club won the match 3–2 in injury time following a goal from Tulio de Melo
. Hazard's first career goal resulted in him becoming the youngest goalscorer in the club's history. Four days after scoring his first professional goal, Hazard made his first professional start in a 4–2 defeat on penalties to Montpellier
in the Coupe de la Ligue
. After featuring as a substitute in the team's next five league matches, on 15 November, Hazard made his first professional league start against Saint-Étienne
. He capped the appearance by scoring the opening goal in the club's 3–0 victory. His positive performances with the club resulted in Lille offering him a three-year contract extension, which he agreed to on 18 November 2008, tying him to the club until 2012.
After featuring as a substitute in December, Hazard returned to the starting lineup in January. On 23 January, he scored the second goal in a 3–0 win over amateur club Dunkerque
in Round of 32 of the Coupe de France
. Two weeks later, he scored a game-winning goal in a league match against Sochaux
and, on 22 February, assisted on the winner against Monaco
. In the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France, Hazard netted a goal in a 3–2 win over the competition's defending champions Lyon
. On 26 April, he scored the opening goal against Marseille
, though Lille lost the match 2–1. In the final ten league matches of the campaign, Hazard started eight and contributed to the team finishing in 5th place, which resulted in Lille qualifying for the newly-created UEFA Europa League. After the season, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year, becoming the first international player to achieve the honor.
and Manchester United
, Italian club Internazionale, and Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid
. French football legend Zinedine Zidane
personally recommended the player to the latter club.
Hazard began the 2009–10 season
on a quick note scoring in the Lille's first competitive match of the season. The goal, contributing to the team's 2–0 victory, came against Serbia
n club FK Sevojno
in the first leg of the club's third qualifying round match in the UEFA Europa League. On 27 August, he scored his second career European
goal in the club's second leg tie in the playoff round against Belgian club Genk. It was Lille's final goal in the club's 4–2 victory. The 6–3 aggregate scoreline assured the club progression to the Europa League group stage. On 22 October, he scored a goal in Lille's important 3–0 victory over Italian club Genoa
in the 84th minute after entering as a substitute 10 minutes prior. Upon receiving the ball on the left wing, Hazard proceeded to dash through the midfield dribbling past six Genoa defenders before finishing at the 18-yard box. A month later, Hazard was instrumental in Lille's 5–1 thrashing of Czech
club Slavia Prague as he was partly responsible for the opening goal after slicing through the defense and delivering a cross near post, which awkwardly went off Slavia player Marek Suchý
resulting in an own goal
.
On 20 December, he scored his first league goal of the season in the club's 3–0 win over Le Mans. Hazard also provided both the assists on the other two goals. On 30 January, Hazard scored the only goal in Lille's win over Derby du Nord
rivals Lens
. The victory helped the club achieve stability in the league by keeping them in the UEFA Champions League
places and, also, ended a disaster of a week which saw Lille suffer elimination from both of France's cup competitions. Five days later, Hazard and Lille reached an agreement on a contract extension, which will keep the player at the club until 2014. On 11 March, Hazard scored the only goal in Lille's victory over English club Liverpool
in the first leg of the club's UEFA Europa League tie converting a free kick
in the 83rd minute. Three weeks later, Hazard provided two assists in the club's 4–1 win over fellow title contenders Montpellier
. The two passes brought his league tally to seven, tied for second in the league. For his impressive displays in the month of March, Hazard was given the UNFP Player of the Month
award.
On 29 April, Hazard was nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1
Player of the Year award. He was also nominated, for the second consecutive season, for the Young Player of the Year award. On 9 May, Hazard was awarded the UNFP Young Player of the Year trophy for the second consecutive season. He is the first player, since the award's inception in 1994, to win the award twice. Hazard lost out on the Player of the Year award, which was awarded to Lyon striker
Lisandro López
.
as a starter featuring in Lille's first six league matches of the season, as well as matches in the UEFA Europa League. On 29 August 2010, he scored his first goal of the season in a 1–1 draw with Nice
. In late September, Hazard began to struggle with inconsistency and was benched by Garcia in an effort to "allow him (Hazard) to breathe and learn that his performances were insufficient". Hazard, subsequently, appeared as a substitute in the team's 2–1 defeat to Portuguese
club Sporting in the Europa League and as a substitute in the next three league matches against Toulouse
, Montpellier
, and Lyon. Hazard later admitted that his first bout of inconsistency affected him stating "The first two months were a bit tough. I wouldn’t say that I began doubting my abilities, but I definitely went through a really patchy spell".
On 7 October, Belgium national team manager Georges Leekens, citing Hazard's recent spell on the bench at Lille, said that the player needed to work harder, both physically and mentally, to regain his past year's form. The team's assistant coach, Marc Wilmots
, also stated that Hazard often displayed a lazy mentality while training with the national team. Garcia responded to Leekens comments the following day stating that he thought they were "excessive" and that "Eden is only 19 years old" and can still "make more progress in all areas." Following Belgium's match against Kazakhstan
, in which Hazard failed to start or even appear on the substitute's bench, Leekens responded to Garcia's comments declaring that he would stand by his previous comments and that players must think about the team and not themselves. Hazard, himself, later reflected on Leekens and Garcia comments in February 2011 stating "I learned a lot during those few weeks, mentally speaking. And since then things have got better. The national side has had a fair bit to do with that – I get a lot out of being a part of it".
Following the international break, Hazard re-captured his scoring form netting the final goal in Lille's 4–1 victory over Caen
in the Coupe de la Ligue
on 27 October. Ten days later, he scored his second league goal of the season in a 3–1 win against the league table leaders Brest
. On 21 November, Hazard assisted on both Lille's goals in a 2–1 win over Monaco
. The victory continued the club's domestic unbeaten streak, which led to Lille topping the league table following an emphatic 6–3 victory against Lorient
on 5 December. Hazard began the 2011 portion of the season scoring in the team's first match of the new year against amateur club Forbach
in the Coupe de France
. Lille won the match 3–1. In the team's following match, he assisted on goals scored by Moussa Sow
and Gervinho
in a 2–0 league victory over Nice
. On 19 January, Hazard scored the second goal in a 3–0 victory over Nancy
. On 4 March, Lille officials confirmed that Hazard had added an extra year to his contract. The new deal ties him to the club until 2015. In his first match after the news, Hazard scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–1 away win over title rivals Marseille. The goal was scored on a left-footed shot from almost 35 metres (38.3 yd) out and was clocked at 95 kph.
On 2 April, Hazard capped his 100th league appearance with Lille by scoring the second goal in a 3–1 win over Caen. The goal tied his career-high for goals in a season and also moved Lille eight points clear as league leader in the table. For his performances in the month of March, Hazard was named the UNFP Player of the Month for the second time in his career. On 19 April, after appearing as a first half substitute, he scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–0 Coupe de France semi-final victory over Nice
. The victory inserted the club into the 2011 Coupe de France Final
; the club's first appearance in the competition's final since 1955. On 7 May, Hazard converted a game-winning free-kick goal in the team's 1–0 win over Nancy. Three days later, he was nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season. In the Coupe de France final
, Hazard played 89 minutes as Lille defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1–0 at the Stade de France
. A week later, Lille clinched the Ligue 1 title
by drawing 2–2 away to Paris Saint-Germain, achieving the club's first league championship since the 1953–54 season and the club's first double since the 1945–46 season. The domestic cup and league title were the first two honours in Hazard's career. On the day after Lille won the league, Hazard was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player ever to win the award. He was also rewarded with a place in the organization's Team of the Year for the second consecutive season.
, Hazard switched to the number 10 shirt. In Lille's first competitive match of the season against Marseille in the 2011 Trophée des Champions
, Hazard scored the team's second goal, which put Lille up 2–0. Marseille would later come back to win the match 5–4. On 20 August, in the team's third league match of the season, Hazard assisted on Lille's opening goal, scored by Benoît Pedretti
, in a 2–1 win over Caen. A month later on 10 September, he scored two goals in a 3–1 away victory against Saint-Étienne. Fours days later, Hazard made his UEFA Champions League
debut in a 2–2 group stage draw with Russia
n club CSKA Moscow. In the team's next league match following his Champions League debut, he converted a penalty in a 2–2 draw with Sochaux. On 17 September, Hazard scored the equalizing goal in a 1–1 draw against Bordeaux. In his second career Champions League appearance, he assisted on Lille's only goal, scored by Moussa Sow
, in a 1–1 draw with Turkish
outfit Trabzonspor
.
teams. With the under-17 team, Hazard was a regular in the team making 17 appearances and scoring four goals. He played with the team in the Toto Cup
, a yearly international youth tournament held in Austria
and, also, played in the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
, which Belgium
hosted. In the tournament, Hazard scored his only goal in the team's opening match against the Netherlands
converting a penalty in a 2–2 draw. Throughout the tournament, Hazard impressed media and coaches, which led to many in Belgium comparing him to Belgian football legend Enzo Scifo. Belgium suffered elimination in the semi-final portion of the competition losing to Spain
7–6 on penalties. Belgium were minutes away from a victory, courtesy of an own goal from David Rochela, which Hazard was particularly instrumental in, however Barcelona striker Bojan Krkić
equalized for his nation to send the match into extra time. Due to finishing in third place at the tournament, Belgium qualified for the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
, held in South Korea
. Hazard was selected to participate and played in all three group stage matches, where Belgium were eliminated.
Hazard bypassed the Belgian under-18 team and began earning call-ups to the under-19 team in October 2007. His first appearance came in a 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification
match against Romania
coming on as a substitute in a 4–0 victory. He subsequently played in the next two group stage matches against Iceland
and England
. Belgium lost both matches. The negative results eliminated the country from the tournament. Due to being an underage player the previous year, Hazard was eligible for the under-19 team for the 2008–09 season. Due to his increase participation with Lille's first team, Hazard was only allowed participation in 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification
matches by his club and, as a result, missed the 2008 edition of the Milk Cup
, which was held during Lille's preseason. On 7 October 2008, he scored his first under-19 goal in the team's 5–0 victory over Estonia. Three days later, he scored a double in a 2–2 draw with Croatia
. In the Elite Round
, Hazard led the team in goals scoring three. In the opening match against the Republic of Ireland
, he scored the lone goal. In the next match, Hazard was influential in the team's 5–0 thrashing of Sweden
scoring a goal and assisting on two others. In the team's final match, they faced Switzerland
. Belgium needed an outright victory to progress to the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
, but were eliminated from qualifying after drawing 1–1 with the Swiss, despite Hazard opening the scoring for Belgium in the 21st minute.
. He made his highly anticipated debut in that match coming on as a substitute in the 67th minute for Wesley Sonck
. On his debut, Hazard became the eighth youngest player in Belgian football history at 17 years and 316 days to play for the national team. On 12 August 2009, after three consecutive substitute appearances with the team, he made his first start under coach Franky Vercauteren
in the team's 3–1 friendly loss to the Czech Republic
. Following the resignation of Vercauteren, he was replaced with manager Dick Advocaat
. Under Advocaat, Hazard became a starter in the team and, on 14 November 2009, played a full match for the first time in his international career. In the match, which was played against Hungary
, Hazard assisted on two goals in a 3–0 win.
Advocaat was replaced as manager in May 2010 with Georges Leekens. After featuring as a starter in Leekens first three matches in charge, Hazard began appearing as a substitute for Belgium during the 2010–11 season. Leekens justified his benching of Hazard citing the players' domestic performance, which had been underwhelming at the time, while also admitting that Hazard displayed a lack of desire in training with the national team and often neglected his defensive duties during international matches. After appearing as a substitute in two straight matches, Hazard returned to the starting lineup for the team's November 2010 friendly match against Russia
. In the match, which Belgium won 2–0, Hazard assisted on the team's opening goal scored by Romelu Lukaku
. After featuring as a starter in the team's 1–1 draw with Finland
in February 2011, Hazard was relegated back to the substitute's bench for the team's important March 2011 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
matches as Leekens preferred Nacer Chadli
and Moussa Dembélé
on the wings. In the team's 29 March qualifier against Azerbaijan
, he appeared as a second-half substitute and assisted on the team's final goal in a 4–1 win. Following the matches, French media began questioning why Hazard was struggling to be appreciated in his home country, while, at the same time, was being praised in France. Marc Wilmots, assistant coach of the national team, responded to the media reports stating "Some people only see Eden's qualities" and "the French press are sometimes blinded by his moments of magic".
In Belgium's next competitive match against Turkey
on 3 June 2011, Hazard started the match, but was substituted out after 60 minutes. Disappointed with his performance and substitution, the midfielder retired to the locker room and was later spotted on television outside the stadium with his family eating a hamburger
while the match was still ongoing. Following the episode, which has become known as Burgergate in Belgium, Hazard apologized for the defection, while Leekens attributed Hazard's response to the substitution as "a young player making a mistake". On 4 August, Leekens announced that Hazard would be disciplined for his actions during the Turkey match and, as a result, would miss the team's 10 August friendly match against Slovenia
, as well as the team's Euro qualifying return match against Azerbaijan on 2 September and friendly against the United States
four days later. On 9 August, Hazard's management group issued a press release to the Belgian media. The release detailed Hazard's actions during the Turkey match, criticized the player's three-match suspension, as well as questioned Leekens constant criticism of Hazard. On 25 August, it was announced that Leekens had lifted Hazard's suspension and the midfielder was subsequently named in the team to play the September fixtures. Leekens decided to lift the suspension after having a meeting with Hazard that was organized by the player's agent.
On 7 October 2011, nearly three years after his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan
in a 4–1 victory. The victory inserted Belgium into second place position in its group in qualifying for UEFA Euro 2012 with the team needing a victory over Germany
on 11 October to secure a place in the qualifying playoffs. In the match against Germany, Hazard played the entire match as Belgium failed to earn a place in the European Championship losing 3–1 in Düsseldorf
.
dubbing him "little Messi
", in reference to the Barcelona star. Puel's sentiments were later echoed by former Marseille
manager and media personality Rolland Courbis who commented "At times it looks to me like Lionel Messi on the right-hand side". Hazard's "flair and tricky" style of play has been described as being similar to Real Madrid
star Cristiano Ronaldo
; a comparison later repeated by former French international
Christophe Dugarry. His vision, described as being the trait he has improved on the most, has allowed him to develop into an effective passer, which compensates for his relatively low goal-scoring output.
In Belgium, Hazard's talent and similar ascension up the country's football hierarchy has led to comparisons to former Belgian international Enzo Scifo. Both players share the same birthplace and Scifo himself spent time with Hazard while he was in Tubize admitting "Eden, you know, I've coached in Tubize. During the week, I took care of the young people at least once, and he, in those days, I immediately saw he had a secure future". However, despite the positive opinions, Hazard has endured criticism from some. His former national team coach and mentor Dick Advocaat
agreed with the majority in that Hazard possessed everything required to be a world-class player, however Advocaat admitted that the attacker lacked charisma
stating "I told him to have more charisma. He is a talent, but he can not be seen like that forever". In 2010, current national team manager Georges Leekens questioned Hazard's work-rate. Lille youth academy director Jean-Michel Vandamme countered both managers criticism by arguing that Hazard simply possesses an intellectual honesty that is out of the ordinary and unexpected of today's footballer declaring "He is a real competitor, not a cheat, nor a moaner, because you don’t hear him complaining when he gets fouled". Hazard's calm and cool demeanor on the field has been cited as one of his best attributes. So far in his career as a professional, in which he has accumulated over 160 appearances, Hazard has collected only 11 yellow cards.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
footballer who currently plays for French club Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
in Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Hazard is known for his creativity, speed, and technical ability and is described as a "fearless, explosive attacking midfielder who can change the game with a turn of pace or a dribble". He has also been described as "a defender's nightmare" and has earned critical acclaim for his playing style, which has led to the media, coaches, and players drawing comparisons to FIFA World Player of the Year
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
winners Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
and Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
.
Hazard is the son of former Belgian football players Carine and Thierry Hazard and began his football career in Belgium playing for local clubs Royal Stade Brainois and Tubize
A.F.C. Tubize
Association Football Clubs Tubize, also known as A.F.C. Tubize is a Belgian football club located in the city of Tubize. The club last promoted to the first division in 2008. The club was founded in 1989 as the result of a merger of two clubs, F.C...
. In 2005, he ventured to France joining first division
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
club Lille. Hazard spent two years in the club's academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November 2007. In his first full season as a starter, he won the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year award becoming the first non-French player to win the award. In the 2009–10 season
2009–10 Ligue 1
The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated...
, Hazard captured the award again becoming the first player to win the award twice. He was also named to the league's Team of the Year. Since making his debut in 2007, Hazard has become an integral part of the club under manager Rudi Garcia
Rudi Garcia
Rudi Garcia is a football manager and former player.- Playing career :From a very early age, football was part of Rudi Garcia's existence. His father, José, was a Spanish immigrant who played football at a professional level for Sedan and Dunkerque...
racking up over 160 appearances. In the 2010–11 season
2010–11 in French football
The 2010–11 season is the 78th season of competitive professional football in France. The league season began on 6 August 2010 for the Championnat National and Ligue 2 and on 7 August for Ligue 1 and the Championnat de France amateur. The season concluded on 26 May 2011 for Ligue 2, 27 May for the...
, he was a part of the Lille team that won the league and cup double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
and, as a result of his performances, was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player to win the award.
Hazard is a Belgium international, having represented his nation at under-17 and under-19
Belgium national under-19 football team
The Belgium national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-19 Football Championship, held every year...
level. Prior to starring for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that qualified for the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
The UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship 2007 Final Tournament was held in Belgium from May 2, 2007, to May 13, 2007. Top 5 teams will qualify for FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007...
and 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007 was held in the Korea Republic between 18 August and 9 September 2007. For this event, the number of teams had been expanded from 16 to 24, with the top two of each group and the four best third-place teams advancing to the Round of 16...
. Hazard made his senior international debut in November 2008, at the age of 17 years and 316 days, in a friendly match against Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
. Nearly three years after his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
in October 2011.
Personal life
Hazard was born in the city of La LouvièreLa Louvière
La Louvière is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. La Louvière's municipality includes the old communes of Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pierre, Saint-Vaast, Trivières, Boussoit, Houdeng-Aimeries, Houdeng-Gœgnies, Maurage, and Strépy-Bracquegnies...
, but was raised in Braine-le-Comte
Braine-le-Comte
Braine-le-Comte is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut.On January 1, 2006, Braine-le-Comte had a total population of 20,305...
, a small town in the Wallonia region. He grew up in a football dominant family. His mother, Carine, and father, Thierry (not to be confused with the French singer and songwriter of the same name
Thierry Hazard
Thierry Hazard , whose real name is Thierry Gesteau is a French singer.-Biography:Hazard was born in Compiègne, France, and grew up in Sèvres. During the 1980s, he became the singer of the band GPS, an acronym of Garage Psychiatric Suburban. The group's guitarist, Tom "Backerfix" Darnal, is indeed...
) were both footballers in Belgium. His father spent most of his career playing in the Belgian Second Division
Belgian Second Division
The Belgian Second Division is the second-highest division in the Belgian football league system after the Belgian Pro League. It was created by the Belgian Football Association in 1905. Between 2008 and 2010 it was named EXQI League after a television channel owned by the league main sponsor,...
with R.A.A. Louviéroise
R.A.A. Louviéroise
R.A.A. Louviéroise, sometimes referred to as La Louvière or RAAL, was a Belgian football club located in the city of La Louvière, in the province of Hainaut. It had been playing its latest run in the Belgian First Division from 2000-01 to 2005-06 included...
, while his mother played as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
in the Belgian Women's First Division. Hazard is the oldest of four children. He has three younger brothers all of whom play football. Thorgan
Thorgan Hazard
Thorgan Hazard is a Belgian football player who currently plays for French club RC Lens in Ligue 2. He is the younger brother of Lille OSC midfielder Eden Hazard and, like his brother, can play as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Hazard is a Belgian youth international and has represented his...
, 18, currently plays for Lille's most hated rivals
Derby du Nord
The Derby du Nord is a football match contested between French clubs RC Lens and Lille OSC, two of region's most successful clubs. The derby has the name despite Lille being the only club of the two situated in the department of Nord. Lens are situated in the southern department of Pas-de-Calais...
RC Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
. Hazard's other younger brothers Kylian, 16, and Ethan, seven, remain in Belgium playing in the youth academy of Eden's former club A.F.C. Tubize
A.F.C. Tubize
Association Football Clubs Tubize, also known as A.F.C. Tubize is a Belgian football club located in the city of Tubize. The club last promoted to the first division in 2008. The club was founded in 1989 as the result of a merger of two clubs, F.C...
. In March 2011, it was reported that a deal had been agreed to allow Kylian to join Lille when he turns 16 in August 2011. Hazard and his three brothers were raised in a comfortable environment with their parents ensuring they had whatever they needed to excel. The family lived "no more than three meters" from a football training ground and the brothers often ventured onto a training pitch through a small hole in order to hone and develop their skills. Hazard is currently in a relationship with girlfriend Natasha. On 19 December, Belgian and French media announced that she had given birth to a baby boy.
Early career
Hazard began his football career playing for hometown club Royal Stade Brainois at the age of four. During his time at the club, one of his youth coaches described him as a "gifted" player who "knew everything. I had nothing to teach him". Hazard spent eight years at the club before moving to TubizeA.F.C. Tubize
Association Football Clubs Tubize, also known as A.F.C. Tubize is a Belgian football club located in the city of Tubize. The club last promoted to the first division in 2008. The club was founded in 1989 as the result of a merger of two clubs, F.C...
. While at Tubize, he was spotted by a Lille scout while playing in a local tournament with the club. The scout's subsequent report on the player prompted club officials to meet with Hazard's father and offer the young player an aspirant (youth) contract. Hazard's parents accepted the offer with hopes that the training facilities in France would be better. Hazard's father later admitted that the decision to let Eden and, later Thorgan, join clubs in the North of France was the best solution stating "They remained so close to home and, at the same time, they integrated at structures where they could grow, because in Belgium, unfortunately, it's a little empty for the training of youth".
Lille
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
, though he still played with Lille's under-18 team in its league and the Coupe Gambardella
Coupe Gambardella
The Coupe Gambardella is a French football cup competition held between the under-19s of the French football clubs, organized by the French Football Federation ....
. Hazard made his amateur debut on 1 September 2007 in a league match against Racing Club de France appearing as a second half substitute in a 3–1 defeat. He made his first start a week later in the team's 1–0 defeat to Lesquin
US Lesquin
Union Sportive Lesquin is a French association football team founded in 1920. They are based in Lesquin, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France and are currently playing in the Championnat de France Amateurs Group A. They play at the Stade Jean-Pierre Papin in Lesquin, which has a capacity of 1,500.-External...
.
After spending the majority of October and the early part of November playing with the club's under-18 team, on 14 November, due to several players being on international duty, Hazard was called up to the senior team by manager Claude Puel
Claude Puel
Claude Puel is a French football manager and former player. He spent 17 years playing for AS Monaco.-Managerial career:...
to participate in a friendly match against Belgian club Bruges on 16 November. He appeared as a substitute in the match and, as a result of his performance, was included in the 18-man squad to face Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...
in a league match on 24 November. Hazard, subsequently, made his professional debut in the match coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute. Hazard returned to the club's reserve team and spent December playing with the squad. Following the winter break, Hazard returned to the first team in January and made substitute appearances in three league matches against Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...
, Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
, and Paris Saint-Germain. After-wards, he was relegated back to the amateur level where he played concurrently with the reserve team in the fourth division and the under-18 team in the Coupe Gambardella. On 17 May 2008, he scored his first amateur goal in a 3–2 victory over Vitré
AS Vitré
AS Vitré is a French football club based in Vitré . It was founded in 1907. They play at the Stade Municipal, which has a capacity of 3,500...
. Hazard finished his amateur career with 11 appearances and one goal helping the reserve team finished in fifth place, which was first among professional clubs' reserve teams playing in the group.
2008–09 season
For the 2008–09 season, Hazard switched to the number 26 shirt and was promoted to the senior team permanently by new manager Rudi GarciaRudi Garcia
Rudi Garcia is a football manager and former player.- Playing career :From a very early age, football was part of Rudi Garcia's existence. His father, José, was a Spanish immigrant who played football at a professional level for Sedan and Dunkerque...
. Early on, he made substitute appearances regularly making his season debut as a substitute on 14 September 2008 against Sochaux in a 1–1 draw. One of his substitute appearances proved beneficial against Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
on 20 September. With Lille trailing 2–1 in the waning minutes of the match, Hazard, after Lille took a corner kick
Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
, quickly scooped up a short clearance from Auxerre and took a right-footed shot just outside the box. It beat the keeper and drew the score 2–2 in the 88th minute. With Lille's confidence high, the club won the match 3–2 in injury time following a goal from Tulio de Melo
Túlio de Melo
Túlio Vinícius Fróes de Melo , commonly known as Túlio de Melo, is a Brazilian football striker who currently plays for Lille OSC in the French Ligue 1.- Early career & Breakthrough :...
. Hazard's first career goal resulted in him becoming the youngest goalscorer in the club's history. Four days after scoring his first professional goal, Hazard made his first professional start in a 4–2 defeat on penalties to Montpellier
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
in the Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
. After featuring as a substitute in the team's next five league matches, on 15 November, Hazard made his first professional league start against Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
. He capped the appearance by scoring the opening goal in the club's 3–0 victory. His positive performances with the club resulted in Lille offering him a three-year contract extension, which he agreed to on 18 November 2008, tying him to the club until 2012.
After featuring as a substitute in December, Hazard returned to the starting lineup in January. On 23 January, he scored the second goal in a 3–0 win over amateur club Dunkerque
USL Dunkerque
USL Dunkerque is a French football club based in the commune of Dunkirk.They currently play in the Championnat de France Amateurs Group A. The club's nickname is The Doves. Their kit colours are white and blue. They play their home matches at the Stade Tribut in Dunkirk.-History:The club was...
in Round of 32 of the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
. Two weeks later, he scored a game-winning goal in a league match against Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
and, on 22 February, assisted on the winner against Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
. In the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France, Hazard netted a goal in a 3–2 win over the competition's defending champions Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
. On 26 April, he scored the opening goal against Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, though Lille lost the match 2–1. In the final ten league matches of the campaign, Hazard started eight and contributed to the team finishing in 5th place, which resulted in Lille qualifying for the newly-created UEFA Europa League. After the season, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year, becoming the first international player to achieve the honor.
2009–10 season
Following the 2008–09 season, constant media speculation occurred in numerous countries regarding Hazard's availability on the transfer market. Despite Lille chairman Michel Seydoux declaring the player off limits and Hazard stating that he wanted to remain at the club for at least another season, several clubs declared interest in the player. Notable clubs included English clubs ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Italian club Internazionale, and Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. French football legend Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
personally recommended the player to the latter club.
Hazard began the 2009–10 season
2009–10 in French football
The 2009–10 season was the 77th season of competitive professional football in France.The season began on 7 August 2009 for the Championnat National and Ligue 2 and on 8 August for Ligue 1 and the Championnat de France amateur...
on a quick note scoring in the Lille's first competitive match of the season. The goal, contributing to the team's 2–0 victory, came against Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n club FK Sevojno
FK Sevojno
For the current club competing in the Serbian SuperLiga, see FK Sloboda Point Sevojno.FK Sevojno Point was a football club from Sevojno, Serbia.-History:...
in the first leg of the club's third qualifying round match in the UEFA Europa League. On 27 August, he scored his second career European
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
goal in the club's second leg tie in the playoff round against Belgian club Genk. It was Lille's final goal in the club's 4–2 victory. The 6–3 aggregate scoreline assured the club progression to the Europa League group stage. On 22 October, he scored a goal in Lille's important 3–0 victory over Italian club Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
in the 84th minute after entering as a substitute 10 minutes prior. Upon receiving the ball on the left wing, Hazard proceeded to dash through the midfield dribbling past six Genoa defenders before finishing at the 18-yard box. A month later, Hazard was instrumental in Lille's 5–1 thrashing of Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
club Slavia Prague as he was partly responsible for the opening goal after slicing through the defense and delivering a cross near post, which awkwardly went off Slavia player Marek Suchý
Marek Suchý
Marek Suchý is a Czech football player who plays as a defender for Russian Premier League club FC Spartak Moscow on loan from Slavia Prague...
resulting in an own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
.
On 20 December, he scored his first league goal of the season in the club's 3–0 win over Le Mans. Hazard also provided both the assists on the other two goals. On 30 January, Hazard scored the only goal in Lille's win over Derby du Nord
Derby du Nord
The Derby du Nord is a football match contested between French clubs RC Lens and Lille OSC, two of region's most successful clubs. The derby has the name despite Lille being the only club of the two situated in the department of Nord. Lens are situated in the southern department of Pas-de-Calais...
rivals Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
. The victory helped the club achieve stability in the league by keeping them in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
places and, also, ended a disaster of a week which saw Lille suffer elimination from both of France's cup competitions. Five days later, Hazard and Lille reached an agreement on a contract extension, which will keep the player at the club until 2014. On 11 March, Hazard scored the only goal in Lille's victory over English club Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the first leg of the club's UEFA Europa League tie converting a free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
in the 83rd minute. Three weeks later, Hazard provided two assists in the club's 4–1 win over fellow title contenders Montpellier
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
. The two passes brought his league tally to seven, tied for second in the league. For his impressive displays in the month of March, Hazard was given the UNFP Player of the Month
UNFP Player of the Month
The UNFP Player of the Month trophy is awarded to the best player in the French football championship Ligue 1 by the UNFP, RTL and L'Équipe.A similar award goes to the best player in Ligue 2 and is set up by the UNFP, France Football and Eurosport....
award.
On 29 April, Hazard was nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
Player of the Year award. He was also nominated, for the second consecutive season, for the Young Player of the Year award. On 9 May, Hazard was awarded the UNFP Young Player of the Year trophy for the second consecutive season. He is the first player, since the award's inception in 1994, to win the award twice. Hazard lost out on the Player of the Year award, which was awarded to Lyon striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
Lisandro López
Lisandro López
Lisandro López , sometimes known as Lisandro, is an Argentine footballer who plays for Olympique Lyonnais in France.Primarily a striker, he is also capable of playing on the wings....
.
2010–11 season
Hazard began the 2010–11 campaign2010–11 in French football
The 2010–11 season is the 78th season of competitive professional football in France. The league season began on 6 August 2010 for the Championnat National and Ligue 2 and on 7 August for Ligue 1 and the Championnat de France amateur. The season concluded on 26 May 2011 for Ligue 2, 27 May for the...
as a starter featuring in Lille's first six league matches of the season, as well as matches in the UEFA Europa League. On 29 August 2010, he scored his first goal of the season in a 1–1 draw with Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
. In late September, Hazard began to struggle with inconsistency and was benched by Garcia in an effort to "allow him (Hazard) to breathe and learn that his performances were insufficient". Hazard, subsequently, appeared as a substitute in the team's 2–1 defeat to Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
club Sporting in the Europa League and as a substitute in the next three league matches against Toulouse
Toulouse FC
Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by...
, Montpellier
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
, and Lyon. Hazard later admitted that his first bout of inconsistency affected him stating "The first two months were a bit tough. I wouldn’t say that I began doubting my abilities, but I definitely went through a really patchy spell".
On 7 October, Belgium national team manager Georges Leekens, citing Hazard's recent spell on the bench at Lille, said that the player needed to work harder, both physically and mentally, to regain his past year's form. The team's assistant coach, Marc Wilmots
Marc Wilmots
Marc Robert Wilmots is a former Belgian football player.-Career:In his club career, that started in 1987, Wilmots played for Sint-Truiden, KV Mechelen, Standard Liège, Schalke 04, and Bordeaux. At Schalke he helped them to the 1997 UEFA Cup Final...
, also stated that Hazard often displayed a lazy mentality while training with the national team. Garcia responded to Leekens comments the following day stating that he thought they were "excessive" and that "Eden is only 19 years old" and can still "make more progress in all areas." Following Belgium's match against Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
, in which Hazard failed to start or even appear on the substitute's bench, Leekens responded to Garcia's comments declaring that he would stand by his previous comments and that players must think about the team and not themselves. Hazard, himself, later reflected on Leekens and Garcia comments in February 2011 stating "I learned a lot during those few weeks, mentally speaking. And since then things have got better. The national side has had a fair bit to do with that – I get a lot out of being a part of it".
Following the international break, Hazard re-captured his scoring form netting the final goal in Lille's 4–1 victory over Caen
SM Caen
Stade Malherbe Caen is a professional French football team, playing in the city of Caen, Normandy. The club was founded on 17 November 1913 following the merger of Club Malherbe Caennais and Club Sportif Caennais...
in the Coupe de la Ligue
2010–11 Coupe de la Ligue
The 2010–11 Coupe de la Ligue was the 17th edition of the French league cup competition. The defending champions were Marseille, who defeated Bordeaux 3–1 in the 2009–10 edition of the final. The competition was organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel and was open to the forty-four...
on 27 October. Ten days later, he scored his second league goal of the season in a 3–1 win against the league table leaders Brest
Stade Brestois 29
Stade Brestois 29 is a French football club based in Brest. The club was founded in 1903 under the name Armoricaine de Brest and adopted its current name in 1950...
. On 21 November, Hazard assisted on both Lille's goals in a 2–1 win over Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
. The victory continued the club's domestic unbeaten streak, which led to Lille topping the league table following an emphatic 6–3 victory against Lorient
FC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...
on 5 December. Hazard began the 2011 portion of the season scoring in the team's first match of the new year against amateur club Forbach
US Forbach
Union Sportive de Forbach Football is a French football club based in Forbach in the Lorraine region. The club was founded on 25 August 1909 under the name Sport Club Forbach and is a part of a sports club that consists of several other sports. The club played under the SCF emblem until 1919...
in the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
. Lille won the match 3–1. In the team's following match, he assisted on goals scored by Moussa Sow
Moussa Sow
Moussa Sow is a French-born Senegalese football player who currently plays for French club Lille in Ligue 1.-Club Career:...
and Gervinho
Gervinho
Gervais Yao Kouassi , more commonly known as Gervinho, is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a forwardor as a winger for English Premier League club Arsenal.-Youth career:...
in a 2–0 league victory over Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
. On 19 January, Hazard scored the second goal in a 3–0 victory over Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...
. On 4 March, Lille officials confirmed that Hazard had added an extra year to his contract. The new deal ties him to the club until 2015. In his first match after the news, Hazard scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–1 away win over title rivals Marseille. The goal was scored on a left-footed shot from almost 35 metres (38.3 yd) out and was clocked at 95 kph.
On 2 April, Hazard capped his 100th league appearance with Lille by scoring the second goal in a 3–1 win over Caen. The goal tied his career-high for goals in a season and also moved Lille eight points clear as league leader in the table. For his performances in the month of March, Hazard was named the UNFP Player of the Month for the second time in his career. On 19 April, after appearing as a first half substitute, he scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–0 Coupe de France semi-final victory over Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
. The victory inserted the club into the 2011 Coupe de France Final
2011 Coupe de France Final
The 2011 Coupe de France Final was the 93rd final of France's most prestigious football cup competition. The final took place on 14 May 2011 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and was contested between Paris Saint-Germain and Lille...
; the club's first appearance in the competition's final since 1955. On 7 May, Hazard converted a game-winning free-kick goal in the team's 1–0 win over Nancy. Three days later, he was nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season. In the Coupe de France final
2011 Coupe de France Final
The 2011 Coupe de France Final was the 93rd final of France's most prestigious football cup competition. The final took place on 14 May 2011 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and was contested between Paris Saint-Germain and Lille...
, Hazard played 89 minutes as Lille defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1–0 at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
. A week later, Lille clinched the Ligue 1 title
2010–11 Ligue 1
The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011...
by drawing 2–2 away to Paris Saint-Germain, achieving the club's first league championship since the 1953–54 season and the club's first double since the 1945–46 season. The domestic cup and league title were the first two honours in Hazard's career. On the day after Lille won the league, Hazard was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player ever to win the award. He was also rewarded with a place in the organization's Team of the Year for the second consecutive season.
2011–12 season
Ahead of the 2011–12 season2011–12 in French football
The 2011–12 season is the 118th overall season of football and the 79th season of competitive professional football in France.The men's French national team began play on 10 August 2011 contesting a friendly match against Chile. The team will continue its qualification matches for the upcoming UEFA...
, Hazard switched to the number 10 shirt. In Lille's first competitive match of the season against Marseille in the 2011 Trophée des Champions
2011 Trophée des Champions
The 2011 Trophée des champions was the 16th edition of the French supercup. The match was to be contested by the winners of Ligue 1 the previous season, Lille, and the defending Coupe de France champions. However, due to Lille also winning the Coupe de France the previous season, the club faced...
, Hazard scored the team's second goal, which put Lille up 2–0. Marseille would later come back to win the match 5–4. On 20 August, in the team's third league match of the season, Hazard assisted on Lille's opening goal, scored by Benoît Pedretti
Benoît Pedretti
Benoît Pedretti is a French association football midfielder playing for Lille. He is a deep lying playmaker well known for his wide range of passing....
, in a 2–1 win over Caen. A month later on 10 September, he scored two goals in a 3–1 away victory against Saint-Étienne. Fours days later, Hazard made his UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
debut in a 2–2 group stage draw with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n club CSKA Moscow. In the team's next league match following his Champions League debut, he converted a penalty in a 2–2 draw with Sochaux. On 17 September, Hazard scored the equalizing goal in a 1–1 draw against Bordeaux. In his second career Champions League appearance, he assisted on Lille's only goal, scored by Moussa Sow
Moussa Sow
Moussa Sow is a French-born Senegalese football player who currently plays for French club Lille in Ligue 1.-Club Career:...
, in a 1–1 draw with Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
outfit Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Trabzon, Turkey. Formed in 1967 through a merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor won six championships in Turkish Super League. The Club won their first Championship title in 1975 which is also the Club's initiation year...
.
Youth
Hazard has played for various Belgian national youth teams, such as the under-17 and under-19Belgium national under-19 football team
The Belgium national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-19 Football Championship, held every year...
teams. With the under-17 team, Hazard was a regular in the team making 17 appearances and scoring four goals. He played with the team in the Toto Cup
Toto Cup
The Toto Cup is an association football tournament that exists separately in the two highest divisions in Israel: the Premier League and Liga Leumit....
, a yearly international youth tournament held in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and, also, played in the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
The UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship 2007 Final Tournament was held in Belgium from May 2, 2007, to May 13, 2007. Top 5 teams will qualify for FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007...
, which Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
hosted. In the tournament, Hazard scored his only goal in the team's opening match against the Netherlands
Netherlands national under-17 football team
The Netherlands national under-17 football team represents Netherlands in international football at this age level and is controlled by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond — KNVB, the governing body for football in Netherlands...
converting a penalty in a 2–2 draw. Throughout the tournament, Hazard impressed media and coaches, which led to many in Belgium comparing him to Belgian football legend Enzo Scifo. Belgium suffered elimination in the semi-final portion of the competition losing to Spain
Spain national under-17 football team
The Spain national under-17 football team represents Spain in international football at this age level and is controlled by Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain....
7–6 on penalties. Belgium were minutes away from a victory, courtesy of an own goal from David Rochela, which Hazard was particularly instrumental in, however Barcelona striker Bojan Krkić
Bojan Krkic
Bojan Krkić Pérez known as just Bojan, is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a forward or winger for Italian Serie A club Roma.- Early years :...
equalized for his nation to send the match into extra time. Due to finishing in third place at the tournament, Belgium qualified for the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007 was held in the Korea Republic between 18 August and 9 September 2007. For this event, the number of teams had been expanded from 16 to 24, with the top two of each group and the four best third-place teams advancing to the Round of 16...
, held in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Hazard was selected to participate and played in all three group stage matches, where Belgium were eliminated.
Hazard bypassed the Belgian under-18 team and began earning call-ups to the under-19 team in October 2007. His first appearance came in a 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification
2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification
UEFA U-19 Championship 2008 was the first round of qualifications for the Final Tournament of 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. 52 teams are split into 13 groups of 4 and teams in each group play each other once. The top two teams in each group and the two best third-placed teams...
match against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
coming on as a substitute in a 4–0 victory. He subsequently played in the next two group stage matches against Iceland
Iceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
and England
England national under-19 football team
-Other matches:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Denmark.- Recent call-ups :The following players have also been called up to the England under-19 squad and remain eligible.-Past squads:...
. Belgium lost both matches. The negative results eliminated the country from the tournament. Due to being an underage player the previous year, Hazard was eligible for the under-19 team for the 2008–09 season. Due to his increase participation with Lille's first team, Hazard was only allowed participation in 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification
2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification
2009 UEFA U-19 Championship was the first round of qualifications for the Final Tournament of 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. The final tournament of the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship is preceded by two qualification stages: a qualifying round and an Elite round...
matches by his club and, as a result, missed the 2008 edition of the Milk Cup
Milk Cup
The Milk Cup is an international youth football tournament held annually in Northern Ireland. The cup matches are mainly played in the North Coast area of Northern Ireland, with matches taking place in the towns of Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock, Limavady, Coleraine, Ballymoney, Ballymena and...
, which was held during Lille's preseason. On 7 October 2008, he scored his first under-19 goal in the team's 5–0 victory over Estonia. Three days later, he scored a double in a 2–2 draw with Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
. In the Elite Round
2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship elite qualification
The Elite Round of the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship is the second round of qualification. The winners of each group join hosts Ukraine at the Final Tournament.-Group 1:---------------------Group 2:------------...
, Hazard led the team in goals scoring three. In the opening match against the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, he scored the lone goal. In the next match, Hazard was influential in the team's 5–0 thrashing of Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
scoring a goal and assisting on two others. In the team's final match, they faced Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
. Belgium needed an outright victory to progress to the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Bracket:-Semi-finals:---------Final:-Top goalscorers:4 goals Nathan Delfouneso3 goals Henri Lansbury Danijel Aleksić Denys Harmash-External links:*...
, but were eliminated from qualifying after drawing 1–1 with the Swiss, despite Hazard opening the scoring for Belgium in the 21st minute.
Senior
Although, Hazard is still eligible to represent Belgium on youth level, on 18 November 2008, he was called up to the Belgium senior team, for the first time, by manager René Vandereycken for the team's match against LuxembourgLuxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
. He made his highly anticipated debut in that match coming on as a substitute in the 67th minute for Wesley Sonck
Wesley Sonck
Wesley Sonck is a Belgian football player, who currently plays as a striker for K. Lierse S.K. who signed him in August 2010 and the Belgium national football team. He played for KRC Genk in the Belgian First Division from where he joined AFC Ajax in 2003 for about £5 million...
. On his debut, Hazard became the eighth youngest player in Belgian football history at 17 years and 316 days to play for the national team. On 12 August 2009, after three consecutive substitute appearances with the team, he made his first start under coach Franky Vercauteren
Franky Vercauteren
François Vercauteren , nicknamed "The Little Prince", is a former Belgian football left winger and is now a football manager, who is currently working for Al Jazira Club.- Career :...
in the team's 3–1 friendly loss to the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
. Following the resignation of Vercauteren, he was replaced with manager Dick Advocaat
Dick Advocaat
Dirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat is a Dutch football manager and former player currently the manager of the Russia national football team.He has been moderately successful as a football player and as a coach, which included two stints with the Dutch national football team...
. Under Advocaat, Hazard became a starter in the team and, on 14 November 2009, played a full match for the first time in his international career. In the match, which was played against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
, Hazard assisted on two goals in a 3–0 win.
Advocaat was replaced as manager in May 2010 with Georges Leekens. After featuring as a starter in Leekens first three matches in charge, Hazard began appearing as a substitute for Belgium during the 2010–11 season. Leekens justified his benching of Hazard citing the players' domestic performance, which had been underwhelming at the time, while also admitting that Hazard displayed a lack of desire in training with the national team and often neglected his defensive duties during international matches. After appearing as a substitute in two straight matches, Hazard returned to the starting lineup for the team's November 2010 friendly match against Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
. In the match, which Belgium won 2–0, Hazard assisted on the team's opening goal scored by Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Benjamin Lukaku is a Belgian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Chelsea and the Belgium national team....
. After featuring as a starter in the team's 1–1 draw with Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
in February 2011, Hazard was relegated back to the substitute's bench for the team's important March 2011 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
matches as Leekens preferred Nacer Chadli
Nacer Chadli
Nacer Chadli is a Belgian professional footballer of Moroccan ancestry who plays as a winger for Dutch club FC Twente.-AGOVV Apeldoorn:Chadli played his youth football at Standard Liège and MVV Maastricht....
and Moussa Dembélé
Moussa Dembélé
Moussa Sidi Yaya Dembélé is a Belgian footballer who currently plays as an Attacking Midfielder for Fulham in the English Premier League. He has a Malian father and a Belgian mother.-Early career:...
on the wings. In the team's 29 March qualifier against Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
, he appeared as a second-half substitute and assisted on the team's final goal in a 4–1 win. Following the matches, French media began questioning why Hazard was struggling to be appreciated in his home country, while, at the same time, was being praised in France. Marc Wilmots, assistant coach of the national team, responded to the media reports stating "Some people only see Eden's qualities" and "the French press are sometimes blinded by his moments of magic".
In Belgium's next competitive match against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
on 3 June 2011, Hazard started the match, but was substituted out after 60 minutes. Disappointed with his performance and substitution, the midfielder retired to the locker room and was later spotted on television outside the stadium with his family eating a hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
while the match was still ongoing. Following the episode, which has become known as Burgergate in Belgium, Hazard apologized for the defection, while Leekens attributed Hazard's response to the substitution as "a young player making a mistake". On 4 August, Leekens announced that Hazard would be disciplined for his actions during the Turkey match and, as a result, would miss the team's 10 August friendly match against Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
, as well as the team's Euro qualifying return match against Azerbaijan on 2 September and friendly against the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
four days later. On 9 August, Hazard's management group issued a press release to the Belgian media. The release detailed Hazard's actions during the Turkey match, criticized the player's three-match suspension, as well as questioned Leekens constant criticism of Hazard. On 25 August, it was announced that Leekens had lifted Hazard's suspension and the midfielder was subsequently named in the team to play the September fixtures. Leekens decided to lift the suspension after having a meeting with Hazard that was organized by the player's agent.
On 7 October 2011, nearly three years after his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
in a 4–1 victory. The victory inserted Belgium into second place position in its group in qualifying for UEFA Euro 2012 with the team needing a victory over Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
on 11 October to secure a place in the qualifying playoffs. In the match against Germany, Hazard played the entire match as Belgium failed to earn a place in the European Championship losing 3–1 in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
.
Style of play
Hazard primarily plays as either an attacking midfielder or a winger and has been credited as being "possibly the outstanding talent in Europe right now". Under Lille manager Rudi Garcia, Hazard often plays in the latter role in the team's 4–3–3 formation and regularly switches flanks due to his ability to effectively use both feet. Two of Hazard's most common exemplary traits is his pace and technical ability, which has been described as both "astonishing" and "mesmerizing", respectively. Club captain Rio Mavuba described Hazard as "a great player, with an immense talent. He’s actually not that big, but he’s so fast. He’s also very difficult to dispossess and his finishing is top notch". Hazard's pace coupled with his finishing and inability to be dispossessed easily led to his former coach Claude PuelClaude Puel
Claude Puel is a French football manager and former player. He spent 17 years playing for AS Monaco.-Managerial career:...
dubbing him "little Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
", in reference to the Barcelona star. Puel's sentiments were later echoed by former Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
manager and media personality Rolland Courbis who commented "At times it looks to me like Lionel Messi on the right-hand side". Hazard's "flair and tricky" style of play has been described as being similar to Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
star Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
; a comparison later repeated by former French international
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
Christophe Dugarry. His vision, described as being the trait he has improved on the most, has allowed him to develop into an effective passer, which compensates for his relatively low goal-scoring output.
In Belgium, Hazard's talent and similar ascension up the country's football hierarchy has led to comparisons to former Belgian international Enzo Scifo. Both players share the same birthplace and Scifo himself spent time with Hazard while he was in Tubize admitting "Eden, you know, I've coached in Tubize. During the week, I took care of the young people at least once, and he, in those days, I immediately saw he had a secure future". However, despite the positive opinions, Hazard has endured criticism from some. His former national team coach and mentor Dick Advocaat
Dick Advocaat
Dirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat is a Dutch football manager and former player currently the manager of the Russia national football team.He has been moderately successful as a football player and as a coach, which included two stints with the Dutch national football team...
agreed with the majority in that Hazard possessed everything required to be a world-class player, however Advocaat admitted that the attacker lacked charisma
Charisma
The term charisma has two senses: 1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, 2) a divinely conferred power or talent. For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2...
stating "I told him to have more charisma. He is a talent, but he can not be seen like that forever". In 2010, current national team manager Georges Leekens questioned Hazard's work-rate. Lille youth academy director Jean-Michel Vandamme countered both managers criticism by arguing that Hazard simply possesses an intellectual honesty that is out of the ordinary and unexpected of today's footballer declaring "He is a real competitor, not a cheat, nor a moaner, because you don’t hear him complaining when he gets fouled". Hazard's calm and cool demeanor on the field has been cited as one of his best attributes. So far in his career as a professional, in which he has accumulated over 160 appearances, Hazard has collected only 11 yellow cards.
Club
(Correct as of 28 November 2011)| Club | Season | League | CupIncludes Coupe de France Coupe de France The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation... and Coupe de la Ligue Coupe de la Ligue The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel... matches |
Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
OtherIncludes FIFA Club World Cup FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000... , UEFA Super Cup, and Trophée des champions Trophée des champions The Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries... matches |
Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Lille Lille OSC LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the... |
2007–08 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2008–09 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 35 | 6 | 3 | |||||
| 2009–10 2009–10 Ligue 1 The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated... |
37 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 1 | — | 52 | 10 | 9 | |||
| 2010–11 2010–11 Ligue 1 The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011... |
38 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | 52 | 12 | 10 | |||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Ligue 1 The 2011–12 Ligue 1 season is the 74th since its establishment. Lille are the defending champions. The league schedule was announced on 31 March 2011 and the fixtures were determined on 10 June. The season began on 6 August 2011 and will end on 20 May 2012... |
15 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 5 | 6 | |
| Total | 124 | 20 | 24 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 164 | 33 | 28 | |
| Career total | 124 | 20 | 24 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 164 | 33 | 28 | |
International
- (Correct as of 15 November 2011)
National team Season Apps Goals Assists Belgium 2008–09 4 0 1 2009–10 8 0 3 2010–11 8 0 3 2011–12 5 1 0 Total 25 1 7
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 October 2011 | King Baudouin Stadium King Baudouin Stadium The King Baudouin Stadium is a sports ground in north-west Brussels, Belgium. It was inaugurated on 23 August 1930 as the Stade du Jubilé or Jubelstadion in the presence of Prince Leopold. It was built to embellish the Heysel plateau in view of the Brussels International Exposition... , Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... , Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
|
|
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
||||||
| Correct as of 7 October 2011 | |||||||||||
Club
Lille- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
(1): 2010–112010–11 Ligue 1The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011... - Coupe de FranceCoupe de FranceThe Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
(1): 2010–112011 Coupe de France FinalThe 2011 Coupe de France Final was the 93rd final of France's most prestigious football cup competition. The final took place on 14 May 2011 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and was contested between Paris Saint-Germain and Lille...
Individual
- UNFP Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
Player of the Year (1): 2010–11 - UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year (2): 2008–09, 2009–10
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year (2): 2009–10, 2010–11
- UNFP Player of the MonthUNFP Player of the MonthThe UNFP Player of the Month trophy is awarded to the best player in the French football championship Ligue 1 by the UNFP, RTL and L'Équipe.A similar award goes to the best player in Ligue 2 and is set up by the UNFP, France Football and Eurosport....
(2): March 2010, March 2011