Hazard – ‘I Think It’s A Goodbye’

Eden Hazard said “I think it’s a goodbye” after scoring twice in the final against Arsenal to help Chelsea win the Europa League. The Belgium international is believed to be on the verge of agreeing a big-money move to Real Madrid and said after Wednesday’s 4-1 win over the Gunners he is now “waiting on both clubs”.

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Hazard will hope to get his wish and if he does depart he bowed out in fitting style, scoring twice in the second half to inspire the Blues to silverware in Baku. “I think it’s a goodbye, but in football you never know,” he told BT Sport. “We will decide in a few days – the only target in my mind was to win this final.

Maybe now it is the time for a new challenge. “My dream was to play in the Premier League and I have done that for one of the biggest clubs.” Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri said he is aware Hazard wants to go and paid tribute to the 28-year-old, who was the star man on the night, although he also admitted he was a “strange boy“.

He said: “I know he wants to leave and I have to respect his decision. He is a wonderful player. It took two or three months for me to understand him as a man and now I do, he’s a wonderful man. “He’s an extraordinary player. He is a strange boy but when he understands it is extraordinary.”