Eden Hazard returned to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, October 11, to participate in a charity match featuring Chelsea and Liverpool legends. The crafty Belgian’s days of flaunting his stuff on the wing are long gone, but how did fans react to his 70-minute performance as the Merseysiders won 1-0?
During the international break, both Premier League clubs hosted a charity match for fans to witness; the ultimate goal was to generate funds for the Chelsea and LFC Foundations, but seeing players like Hazard play again was also on the agenda.
The Belgian, one of the best wingers to have ever played in the Premier League, was joined by John Terry and Petr Cech, while Liverpool’s squad included former stars Robbie Keane and Champions League winner Ryan Babel, who opened and closed the scoring in their narrow victory over the Blues.
Hazard’s 70-minute performance against Liverpool legends was praised.
Hazard, who resigned from football in October 2023 after struggling to play in Spain for Real Madrid, received a round of applause when his name was shouted out by Stamford Bridge’s stadium announcers. The 34-year-old LOSC Lille academy graduate began on the left, supporting Diego Costa at centre forward.
As he did at the peak of his powers for the west Londoners, La Louviere-born Hazard was willing to take up the ball in open spaces and explode past the opposition with what appeared to be relative ease.
In the 65th minute, he had an opportunity to draw first blood. Spreading the ball wide, the delicate forward moved into the box, dummied it for his teammate, and then received an inch-perfect pass. He lacked a finished product, yet it was evocative of his earlier days.
And, while he appeared to have lost a yard of pace since hanging up his boots two years ago, the speed of thought is clearly still present. His quick manoeuvres between players and fleet-footed intuition demonstrated that class is timeless.
Hazard loved picking up pockets of space between the lines as he glided over Liverpool’s back four, often staying one step ahead of them. As seen by the footage of his 70-minute cameo below, he lifted bums off seats with his exquisite touches around the corner, intricate feet, and daring passes from behind.
Watch video of Hazard showing his stuff at Stamford Bridge against Liverpool:
And fans online, who have missed a player of Hazard’s calibre since his departure in 2019, have spoken out about his return to Chelsea. To begin, while tweeting a photo of Hazard’s bold rabona cross, one person wrote: “Eden Hazard still got it.”
“Hazard subbed out to a standing ovation. “What a player,” another remarked, before a third admirer added: “Just finished watching the Chelsea Legends vs Liverpool Legends match live. “Man, Hazard still knows how to ball.” Before referring to the incident between Chelsea’s Costa and Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel, one said:
“Hazard is playing like he’s been training since retirement. Meanwhile, he didn’t even arrive early enough to train with the rest of the group… class is permanent. And, by the way, Costa won’t be changing anytime soon.”
“Should not have taken Hazard off. “He created almost all of our chances,” another fan said on X (previously Twitter), before concluding that Hazard is still a highly talented player. They wrote: “I just completed watching the Chelsea Legends vs Liverpool Legends match live. “Man, Hazard still knows how to ball.”
Hazard was questioned at halftime during his return to Stamford Bridge, where he lived for seven years between 2012 and 2019. He told the cheering home crowd, “It’s always fantastic to be here, back at The Bridge with all the fans. Let’s see if we can get at least one goal, so let’s go!” That may not have been the case for Hazard and his colleagues, but it was still an unforgettable experience.
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