SUMMARY
- Eden Hazard the former Chelsea player claimed that the Saudi Pro League is nowhere close to League 1.
- The comments from Hazard were made after Ronaldo claimed the Saudi Pro League to be superior.
Eden Hazard has recently made a revelation that may not go well for Cristiano Ronaldo fans. Hazard, who decided to hang up his boots last year, was a prominent figure in the English top flight for Chelsea. Known for his quick pace to break and insane ball control, his heroics at Stamford Bridge have helped the Blues overcome many lost battles.
However, it was all good for Belgian until he decided to join Real Madrid in 2019. Constant injuries and a serious drop in form forced the winger to hang up his boots at the age of 32. Although he is still making headlines, His recent comments stated that the Saudi Pro League is nowhere near Ligue 1.
His statement comes after Ronnaldo’s revelation a few days ago, where he stated the Saudi Pro League is better than Ligue 1. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner stated, “To be honest, I think the Saudi League is not worse than the French League, in my opinion. In [the] French League, I think you have two, three teams with a good level.”
🇧🇪🗣️ Hazard on Cristiano Ronaldo saying Saudi League is better than Ligue 1…
“I’m not agreeing with him. I’m sure if a Ligue 1 team played against a Saudi Arabian team, they would win.”
“Maybe not easily, like people might think, but the level in France is good.” (ObiOne) pic.twitter.com/CY8eO80Iow
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) February 19, 2024
“In Saudi Arabia now, I think it’s more competitive. They can say whatever they want; it’s just my opinion, and I played there one year ago, so I know what I’m talking about. But I think right now we are better than [the] French league; we still improve,” added Ronaldo.
Hazard probably might not be a fan of the Saudi League, as he said, “I’m not agreeing with him. I’m sure if a Ligue 1 team played against a Saudi Arabian team, they would win. Maybe not easily, like people might think, but the level in France is good.”
Hazard even went on to rate Lionel Messi more than Cristiano Ronaldo. But Zinedine Zidne will always be the personal favorite of the Belgian star.
Did Eden Hazard play in Ligue 1?
Cristiano Ronaldo’s statement regarding Ligue 1 might not have gone well with Eden Hazard. However, there is a reason behind it. Hazard’s rise to a professional soccer career began in Ligue 1.
The former Chelsea player joined the Lille academy in 2005 when he was just 14 years old. After serving two years at the academy, he finally made his first professional appearance for the French club in 2007, when he was 17.
Eden Hazard and Joe Cole for Lille 2011 pic.twitter.com/UE2Izf6JoJ
— Jals (@jals___) February 19, 2024
He spent the first five years of his career playing for the club. In 2012, Hazard left France when he signed for Chelsea for a fee of $35 million. Having spent the majority of his early career in France, his fondness for Ligue 1 is quite obvious.
Eden Hazard revealed he didn’t enjoy training under Antonio Conte.
During his time at Chelsea, Eden Hazard has played under quite a few big managers, like Jose Mourinho, Maurizio Sarri, Rafa Benitez, and Antonio Conte. And if we go by statistics, his best spell for the Blues came under Conte. However, Hazard was not a big fan of Antonio Conte’s training.
🚨🗣 Eden Hazard is asked: What manager got the best out of you?
“Antonio Conte, you know why? All the week training was bad, so I was like, on Saturday, I need to do something and enjoy a little bit. because I know it’s back to Cobham and tactics! It’s my only 90 minutes I can… pic.twitter.com/tcORVULYyX
— Chelsea Dodgers (@TheBlueDodger) February 19, 2024
Speaking to former Chelsea player John Obi Mikel on the Obi One Podcast, Hazard revealed, “I was going out Saturday; I need to enjoy a little bit because I know the day after is going to be back on the training ground. I have to do something; it’s the only 90 minutes I can enjoy. You remember him stopping, using tactics, saying, No, we have to do that. Saturday was the best day for me.”
Hazard went on to win the English Premier League under Conte in 2016/17. During the Italian’s two-year spell at the club, Hazard scored 34 goals in 94 appearances.
