Eden Hazard's Pre-Match Routine At Chelsea Was Brilliant

Posted Sunday, January 05, 2020 by thesportbible.com

Eden Hazard didn't like to warm up before Chelsea games according to his former teammate Filipe Luis, with the forward instead playing Mario Kart in the dressing room.

During his time at Chelsea, Hazard was the best player at Stamford Bridge and helped the club win two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and two Europa Leagues, bowing out last summer after the second European triumph.

Incredibly it seems the Belgian managed to do all that without taking his pre game preparation all the seriously at all.

According to Luis, speaking to YouTube channel 2AngryMen TV, played Mario Kart in the dressing room instead of getting ready, saying, "Eden played Mario Kart in the dressing room, the fitness coach would say '10 minutes and we're going out to warm-up' and he wouldn't be dressed and would keep playing.

"Five minutes later he was still playing and the coach said 'Eden, come on man!' [Hazard] responded: 'Don't worry, you give me the ball and there won't be a problem'."

Luis, who now plays in Brazil for Flamengo and came up against Liverpool during the FIFA World Club Cup, said that being on the computer or phone wasn't something he could understand, adding, "For me, concentration is the most important, being on your phone on Facebook, Instagram, a lot takes that away from you, especially if you spend five hours a day on it."

The full-back signed for the Blues in the summer of 2014 for around £15.8 million but lasted just one season in west London before returning to Atletico Madrid, after winning the league with Chelsea.

Eden Hazard's Pre-Match Routine At Chelsea Was Brilliant
Luis with his title medal. Image: PA Images

Whilst things are going well for Luis, with a Copa Libertadores and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title to his name since moving to Brazil in 2019 they've gone less well for Hazard.

The 28-year-old has started just seven league games since making his dream move to link up with Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu.

In that time he's scored just one and got just one assist, with another assist coming in his five Champions League appearances, and he's yet to reach the heights he got to in England.

Eden Hazard's Pre-Match Routine At Chelsea Was Brilliant
Hazard hasn't started life well in Spain. Image: PA Images

The former Lille player has been out of action since the end of November with an ankle injury and won't be back in time for the Spanish Super Cup tournament in Saudi Arabia next week.

Right now there's plenty of time for him to play Mario Kart and he'll want to race back onto the pitch once he is fit, just no slipping on banana skins.