It seems that Toni Kroos has openly criticized his former Real Madrid team-mate Eden Hazard, claiming that the high-earning star allowed his career to wither away at the Bernabeu. The LaLiga giants paid a hefty sum of £88 million to Chelsea for Hazard’s services in 2019, but after a lackluster four-year stint, they terminated his contract early last week. Hazard is reportedly contemplating retiring from football at the age of 32, having already retired from international football following Belgium’s disappointing 2022 World Cup campaign.
Kroos, who has enjoyed a successful nine-year tenure at Real Madrid, suggested that the acquisition of Jude Bellingham, with whom Real Madrid recently signed a six-year deal, served as a cautionary tale. He emphasized the similarity in fees between Bellingham’s transfer and Hazard’s initial signing, implying that the latter’s move did not meet expectations. Kroos, airing his views on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen, said, “We had another player who came for a lot of money and basically let his career die… It was a lot of money, I think everyone would say that wasn’t a good transfer. But let’s be positive.”
Hazard, plagued by injuries during his time at the Bernabeu, managed a paltry seven goals in 76 appearances for the club. Meanwhile, Bellingham is set to be formally introduced at a presentation event in Madrid, followed by a media appearance. Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr promptly extended a welcome to Bellingham on social media following the official announcement of the transfer.
The 19-year-old Bellingham, renowned for his versatility as a midfielder, made the move to Borussia Dortmund from Birmingham in 2020 at the tender age of 16.
