- Hazard retired from football in 2023
- Barcelona had chance to sign him as a teenager
- Ex-scout reveals why they didn't recruit winger
Getty Images Sport'I didn't like it' - Ex-Barcelona scout explains why he advised against pursuit of Eden Hazard prior to Chelsea and Real Madrid transfers
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Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Protect 14 devices with the top ExpressVPN plan
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Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's top-tier Express Pro plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Over 28 monthsSave 67%
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Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.
Over 28 monthsSave 80%
Advanced protection across 11 devices with high-speed VPN
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Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.
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Getty ImagesWHAT THE EX-BARCELONA SCOUT SAID
Krkic told Cadena SER, via Sport: “I met him at the U17 European Championship, where my son was playing. Belgium reached the final, but Spain won; Hazard played wonderfully throughout the tournament, except the final. Then, he signed for Lille. I went to see him against Montpellier. It was August and in the warm-up there was a player missing, everyone was wearing short sleeves and Hazard came out in a tracksuit. The team was all together to warm up, he was stretching, he was looking at the stands. He played well, but in terms of dedication and attitude, I didn’t like it.
“I went to see him three days later against Angers. He was on the bench, like other starters. Everyone was warming up and he was walking. The physical trainer told them to stretch and he was watching the game. I put ‘discarded’ in the report. These types of footballers, who are very good, have shown me that they have not given results; both when they were my teammates and when I was a Barca scout. My report was: maximum quality, technically and tactically; but due to attitude and personality, with more details, I ruled him out."
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Hazard is now enjoying the fruits of retirement after hanging up his boots. While injuries hampered the tail end of his career, the Belgian did not seem too down about the end of this chapter.
He said just over a year ago: "After 16 years and more than 700 matches played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer. I was able to realise my dream, I have played and had fun on many pitches around the world."
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