Eden Hazard wants to work with Jose Mourinho again.
In an interview with Belgian publication HLN (quoted by Sky Sports), the Chelsea winger admitted that he was dissatisfied with how things ended between himself and Mourinho.
Hazard said:
In 12 years I’ve only had one bad season, the last six months under Mourinho, and it was partly my own fault,
After the title, we asked Mourinho for extra holidays. I came back totally out of shape.
The last season under Mourinho was not enjoyable. We didn’t win, we got into a sort of routine, training without having fun, it was better for all parties that we parted ways. But if I’m asked now about one coach with whom I want to work again, I would say Mourinho.
Hazard had been linked with a move away from Chelsea during the summer transfer window, but ultimately stayed put at Stamford Bridge. With less than two years remaining on his contract, speculations about the Belgian’s future have persisted.
The 27-year-old went on to say:
I don’t regret many things in my career, but that I have not been able to work with Mourinho at Chelsea anymore is one of them. We had a team that could win more trophies. We just ended up in a negative cycle.
I sent him a message to say I was sorry he had gone and that I was sorry. We’d enjoyed all that success together, but this time we hadn’t. I felt a little bit guilty because I’d been player of the year. I’d been one of the most decisive players, and then I performed less.
Mourinho has experienced difficulties in the early going with his Manchester United side this season, but Hazard was keen to attack the idea that the Portuguese tactician was overly defensive:
Mourinho’s image of an extremely defensive coach isn’t completely right,
He is far from adventurous like Pep Guardiola, but the season in which we became champions, we have made many goals and played good games.
