Eden Hazard has hailed his seven-year tenure at Chelsea as the “greatest memory” of his football career, highlighting his second season at the club under Jose Mourinho as the pinnacle.
Hazard retired from football at the age of 32 in October 2023, following a disappointing final few years marred by injuries at Real Madrid after his £100m transfer from Chelsea.
However, his time at Chelsea was marked by brilliance, particularly during his second season under Mourinho.
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Reflecting on his time with the Blues in an interview with the Standard ahead of his participation in Soccer Aid at Stamford Bridge, Hazard expressed his fondness: “I spent seven years there… it was the best memory of my football career.”
He continued, “My best season was the second season with Mourinho when we won the Premier League and League Cup. The manager was the Special One, and it’s hard to describe the emotions after games with the fans all happy.”
During that standout season, Hazard scored 19 goals and was honored with individual awards such as the FWA Footballer of the Year, PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and Premier League Player of the Season for his outstanding performances.
Despite his acknowledgment of Mourinho’s influence, Hazard has previously stated that he enjoyed working under Antonio Conte the most at Chelsea.
“I think my best time at Chelsea was with Antonio Conte,” Hazard remarked earlier this year. “All the week training. 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 my only 90 minutes I can enjoy. You remember him, stopping, tactics, ‘no we have to do that’. Saturday was the best day for me.”