Bojan Krkić recently opened up about why he advised against Barcelona signing Eden Hazard during the Belgian’s early career.
Hazard, who was one of Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez’s high-profile signings, struggled to make a lasting impact at Madrid.
The Belgian winger began his senior career at Lille in France, where he caught the attention of top European clubs before ultimately moving to Chelsea.
Concerns Over Hazard’s Professionalism
In a recent interview on Cadena Ser’s “Què T’hi Jugues” program, Bojan, now Barcelona’s football coordinator, revealed his reservations about Hazard’s professionalism when scouting him for Barcelona.
“I first saw him at the Under-17 European Championship, where my son was also competing. Belgium reached the final but lost to Spain. Hazard was excellent throughout the tournament, though not as impressive in the final,” Bojan shared.
Later, Bojan attended a Lille match against Montpellier to watch Hazard in action. “It was August, and during the warm-up, I noticed everyone else was in short sleeves, while Hazard wore a tracksuit and warmed up separately from the team. While others stretched, he seemed distracted, watching the stands instead,” Bojan said. “Though he played well, his attitude raised red flags.”
A few days later, he observed Hazard again against Angers. “Hazard was on the bench, and while other substitutes warmed up, he seemed disengaged, merely walking around and watching the game. I marked him as ‘rejected’ in my report.”
Reflecting on his experience, Bojan added, “Players like Hazard, with undeniable skill, often don’t deliver results due to attitude. I’ve seen this with former teammates and players I scouted. My report highlighted his technical and tactical quality but ruled him out due to issues with attitude and personality.”
A Missed Opportunity for Barça?
Hazard’s attitude was a major point of criticism during his time at Real Madrid, compounded by injuries that limited his impact.
Despite his talent, Barcelona ultimately decided against pursuing him, largely due to concerns about his commitment. In hindsight, the decision may have saved the club from facing similar challenges Madrid did with the once-promising winger.
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