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Eden Hazard claims he wants to work under Jose Mourinho again and assures Chelsea he will stop reigniting Real Madrid rumours

Hazard was thought to be at the heart of Chelsea’s dressing-room revolt under Mourinho in 2015

Tom Kershaw
Saturday 13 October 2018 16:02 BST
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Eden Hazard has seven goals from eight Premier League appearances
Eden Hazard has seven goals from eight Premier League appearances (Getty)

Eden Hazard has surprisingly claimed that Jose Mourinho is the manager he would most like to work with again in an interview with Belgian publication HLN.

Hazard was long thought to be one of the players at the heart of Chelsea’s dressing-room revolt under Mourinho during the 2015/16 season when the club made their worst start to a season in the Abramovich era.

But now the Belgian playmaker, who has scored seven goals in eight Premier League appearances this season, has admitted he feels guilty about the denouement to Mourinho’s Chelsea tenure and revealed that he has apologised to the Manchester United boss.

“I don’t regret many things in my career, but that I have not been able to work with Mourinho at Chelsea anymore is one of them.

Hazard was thought to be key in the dressing room revolt under Mourinho
Hazard was thought to be key in the dressing room revolt under Mourinho (Getty)

“We had a team that could win more trophies. We just ended up in a negative cycle.

“I sent him a message to say I was sorry he had gone and that I was sorry. We’d enjoyed all that success together, but this time we hadn’t.

“I felt a little bit guilty because I’d been Player of the Year. I’d been one of the most decisive players, and then I performed less.’

Hazard also admitted that although the final six months with Mourinho were “not enjoyable”, he was at fault for his poor performances that season.

Hazard has admitted he wants to join his former teammate and compatriot Thibaut Courtois at Real Madrid
Hazard has admitted he wants to join his former teammate and compatriot Thibaut Courtois at Real Madrid (Getty)

‘In 12 years I’ve only had one bad season, the last six months under Mourinho and it was partly my own fault. After the title, we asked Mourinho for extra holidays. I came back totally out of shape.

‘Mourinho’s image of an extremely defensive coach isn’t completely right. He is far from adventurous like Guardiola, but the season in which we became champions, we made many goals and played good games.

‘The last season under Mourinho was not enjoyable. We didn’t win, we got into a sort of routine, training without having fun, it was better for all parties that we parted ways.

The Belgian, who won September’s Premier League Player of the Month award, also assured Chelsea fans that he would stop stoking rumours of a potential move to Real Madrid next summer. Hazard has less than two years left on his contract and admitted last week that it was his boyhood dream to play for the Spanish giants.

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