Eden Hazard set for Chelsea return! Ex-Belgium international poised to play at Stamford Bridge once more after fractious exit

According to The Mirror,Hazard will be back where he belongs, surrounded by a cast of old team-mates: John Terry, Petr Cech, Diego Costa, Ramires, and John Obi Mikel. The event will see the proceeds go directly to the Chelsea FC Foundation and the Chelsea Players’ Trust, ensuring Hazard’s comeback is not just sentimental, but for a greater cause. His final competitive appearance came in that unforgettable Europa League final, when Chelsea battered Arsenal 4-1 and Hazard bowed out by lifting the trophy. Just a week later, Real Madrid came calling with a staggering £100 million ($134m) deal, ending Hazard’s seven-year love affair with Chelsea.

When Hazard arrived in Madrid, it felt like a match made in footballing heaven. The Bernabeu awaited a galáctico ready to light up La Liga. But instead, his dream turned to dust. Injuries, poor form, and fitness woes saw his Spanish fairytale fall apart. Over four painful years, Hazard managed just 76 appearances and seven goals, a shocking decline for a player once considered one of the world’s best. By June 2023, both sides had had enough. Madrid and Hazard agreed to terminate his contract a year early.

"I've been a Zinedine Zidane fan since I was a child. The Bernabeu, the white kit… it has a charm that others don't have," he said in an interview with L'Equipe. "Real Madrid is special. Beyond that, I don't think that I fit in. It's not like me. It's a bit of a 'swaggering' club, and I'm not like that. I also didn't like the way we played if you compare it to other clubs. But, it was my dream. I couldn't finish my career without coming here.

"I would've liked to do things my way and succeed. It shows that Real Madrid is bigger than anything else. It's complicated to play there. Maybe I needed to train more. I also had the worst injuries at the worst times. The operation, the plate... I'm coming back, [and] it hurts, I'm sore. In the second season, Ancelotti arrives. I had good preparation, I play well, but my body, the pain, the injuries..."

Across 352 appearances for Chelsea, Hazard developed into a truly world-class player, scoring 110 goals and registering 92 assists. His numbers were outrageous: 595 chances created, 1,441 dribbles attempted, 909 completed, and an astonishing 638 fouls won, as per BBC. Simply put, nobody could get near him. Hazard wasn’t just about the tricks; he delivered when it mattered. His title-clinching strike against Crystal Palace in 2015 remains iconic, as does that equaliser against Tottenham in the infamous ‘Battle of the Bridge’, when Leicester City’s fairytale title was confirmed.

Hazard has never hidden his affection for Chelsea. "I spent seven years there… it was the best memory of my football career," said Hazard in an interview with The Standard. My best season was the second season with Mourinho when we won the Premier League and League Cup. The manager was the Special One and it's so hard to explain the feelings after games with the fans all happy."

Yet when asked who got the very best out of him, Hazard named Antonio Conte. 

"I think my best time at Chelsea was with Antonio Conte," he said. "All the week training. I was going out Saturday, I need to enjoy a little bit because I know the day after is going to be back on the training ground. I have to do something, it's my only 90 minutes I can enjoy. You remember him, stopping, tactics, 'no we have to do that'. Saturday was the best day for me."

On Saturday, under the floodlights of Stamford Bridge, Hazard will return home to west London, where he is likely to receive a heroes' welcome as he once again dons the blue shirt.