Not Zidane or Ancelotti: Former Real Madrid star Eden Hazard names surprising pick as the best coach ever
After shining as one of the best players in the Premier League for several years, Eden Hazard starred in a €120 million transfer to Real Madrid. However, the Belgian never managed to recover from an injury, ending his career without making an impact on the team. Despite this, he remains quite active in the world of soccer, leading him to name a surprising candidate as the best coach in history, leaving out Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti.
In an interview with RTBF, Eden Hazard decided to praise Vincent Kompany’s work at Bayern Munich, considering that he has all the ingredients to be a very good coach. Amid this, the Belgian stated: “During his career, he spent many years with who is probably the best manager in history, Pep Guardiola.” His statement surprised fans, as he was never actually coached by the Spaniard, leaving aside Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti.
Throughout his tenure in the Premier League, Hazard faced Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on several occasions. Although he was never coached by the Spaniard, the Belgian directly experienced his impact on the league, imposing a very dominant style of play. In addition, he has pushed several players to their best level, while also creating historic teams such as that Barcelona side that dominated in Europe.
Eden was trained by legendary managers. During his tenure at Chelsea, he played under José Mourinho, who brought out his peak. In addition, upon his arrival at Real Madrid, he had Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, two of the most important coaches in the history of Los Blancos. However, the Belgian made his mark on the history of soccer, above and beyond titles and personal experiences, with his decision to join Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola revealed his massive admiration for Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard became one of the most differential players in the Premier League. After playing 352 games, the Belgian scored 110 goals and delivered 88 assists. In addition, he led a brilliant era at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles, two UEFA Europa League trophies, one FA Cup, and one English League Cup. Because of this, Pep Guardiola expressed his deep admiration for him, leaving a strong statement.
In a press conference in June 2019, Guardiola was asked about Hazard’s transfer to Real Madrid, leaving some strong words that demonstrate his admiration: “The player they’ve signed from Chelsea is a very, very, very good player. It’s an amazing signing. He’s one of the best players I’ve seen. They’re going to have a lot of fun watching him,” he said, as per Diario As.
Although his spell at Real Madrid was quite disappointing, Eden still ranks among the best players in the history of Chelsea and one of the best of the last decade in the Premier League. Like Pep Guardiola, Hazard wrote his name in the history of the league, turning himself into a true legend, with an impact that goes far beyond statistics, as he constantly destabilized his opponents.