Real Madrid: Eden Hazard never wanted to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo.

The former Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard revisited his arrival at Real Madrid in 2019, ensuring that he had never wanted to inherit the legendary number 7 left vacant by Cristiano Ronaldo. Transferred from Chelsea for nearly 100 million euros, the Belgian joined the White House a year after the Portuguese star left for Juventus. However, his Madrid adventure never really took off. Plagued by injuries and recurring physical problems, Hazard endured four complicated seasons at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, far from the expectations placed on him.

In an interview on Canal+, the former Belgian international explained that he never sought to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo in the imagination of Madrid supporters. “I came to be Eden Hazard, not to replace Cristiano Ronaldo,” he shared. The Belgian also revealed that he wasn’t enthusiastic about taking the number 7, preferring to wear Luka Modrić’s number 10. “I thought he would agree to let me have it, but that didn’t happen,” the former Chelsea player explained with a smile.