Eden Hazard, one of the most gifted footballers of the past two decades, has reflected on his career, his current life in Italy, and his admiration for Juventus’ rising star, Kenan Yildiz. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid forward has moved on from football to a new passion — winemaking.
Now producing wines in Salento through his Wine of Champions project, Hazard has launched three bottles — a red, a rosé and a white — crafted in what he calls “a very beautiful land.” Despite never playing in Serie A, he now has strong ties to Italy through this venture. During the launch, he spoke openly about his past, his favourite managers, and the current football landscape.
“I supported Milan, but Galliani never called”
“To tell the truth… no, I was never close to joining Serie A,” Hazard told La Gazzetta dello Sport when asked about past links to Italy. “Moratti gave me a lot of compliments, but I always dreamed of playing in the Premier League and for Real Madrid, and fortunately I achieved both. I’ll tell you a secret though — as a child, I supported Milan. I actually met Galliani a few hours ago; he told me he could have seen me playing in Berlusconi’s Milan, but they never made a move.”
“Now I make wine”
“Elegant — just like me,” he joked about his new bottles. “I met Fabio through a mutual friend; he sent me a few bottles, and that’s how the idea of working together was born. We’ve made a red, a rosé and a white. The red is my favourite, while my wife prefers the white.”
“I didn’t want to live like Cristiano Ronaldo”
“Yes, people told me to live like him, but I didn’t want to,” Hazard explained. “I never overdid it, but I always wanted to be Hazard on and off the pitch. If my friends invited me for dinner, I went. If I wanted a glass of wine, I had one. Cristiano is Cristiano; I’m Hazard. I just wanted to be myself and play football. Maybe some people think that was wrong, but I’m happy — Ronaldo and Messi were the best of my era, but behind them, there was me, and maybe Neymar.”
“With Sarri I won, but the training was boring”
“It’s true, I won a lot with them,” said Hazard, referring to his time under Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea. “We had a special relationship, and I think his idea of football matched mine. But I used to tell him his training sessions were boring! It’s not a criticism — the results speak for him, just like for Conte. Antonio was incredible; he made us do endless drills. The best, though, isn’t Italian but you know him well — Mourinho. He’s an extraordinary communicator. The way he thinks and passes on his ideas to players is special.”
“Inter are favourites for the Scudetto”
“Inter are favourites for the title, yes, although things can change quickly,” Hazard noted. “Juventus are improving, and Napoli have a lot of quality. Chivu can do well in the Champions League too — reaching two finals in three years is no coincidence. The directors are competent, the players are strong, and the San Siro fans make a real difference.”
“Fabregas should return to Chelsea”
“Honestly, we spoke a bit last summer,” he revealed. “I told him he was one of the best midfielders in history and that he’s destined to become one of the best managers too. I said it’s time for him to go back to Chelsea — we laughed about it, but I mean it. He loves football, he understands everything about the game. I’m a Chelsea fan, and I want the best for the club. My dream is to see Cesc on the bench while I’m in the stands behind him, enjoying the show.”
“Yildiz looks like a Real Madrid player”
“My kids go crazy for Yildiz,” Hazard admitted. “They watch lots of videos of his skills and hope to see him in the Premier League one day. To me, though, he looks more like a Real Madrid type of player.”
