MADRID: Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard has upset supporters by appearing to laugh with Chelsea players after his former club knocked the Spanish team out of the Champions League.
Chelsea beat Real 2-0 on Wednesday in their semifinal second leg, securing a 3-1 victory on aggregate. Hazard, who joined Real from Chelsea in 2019, failed to impress in either game after recently returning from injury.
Shortly after the final whistle, television cameras showed the Belgian congratulating and laughing with Chelsea players Kurt Zouma and Edouard Mendy. The footage, shown on social media, prompted criticism by Real supporters.
âSomeone explain this to me because I do not understand it,â
former Real winger Javier Balboa wrote in a Tweet accompanied by angry emojis.
Some soccer commentators and former players were also surprised.
Don Hutchinson, a former Liverpool player, said he had witnessed âbizarre scenesâ and that he would not have expected a similar reaction from Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the Champions League four times with Real and once with Manchester United.
âEden Hazard is laughing with Kurt Zouma and Edouard Mendy. Itâs a Champions League semifinal,â Hutchinson told BBC Radio 5 live. âI know theyâre his friends but I canât imagine Cristiano Ronaldo coming off the pitch for Real Madrid laughing.â
Hazardâs two seasons in Spain since becoming Realâs record signing have been riddled with injuries that have prevented him from hitting top form.
Real coach Zinedine Zidane said he had no regrets about picking Hazard and defender Sergio Ramos for the Chelsea game despite the pair only recently returning from injury. â Reuters
