Eden Hazard has not officially confirmed that Wednesday night’s Europa League Final versus Arsenal will be his last match in a Chelsea shirt.
However, he’s also said absolutely nothing to try and shoot down the widely held narrative that he’s off to Real Madrid after the big game in Baku, Azerbaijan. We have seen plenty of telling hints dropped by Chelsea players, and Christian Pulisic sent one extremely strong signal, but affirmation from the club or the Belgian superstar himself has yet to occur.
Here comes yet another tea leaf to read, as Eden Hazard has said that UEL triumph in mid-week would be the perfect way to say goodbye to Stamford Bridge…
…if he were leaving of course.
“It is a European competition, so for me, for the club, for the manager, for the fans, it is something important,” Hazard said to Sky Sports (h/t NBC).
“When you play a final, it does not matter whether it is the Champions League, Europa League or League Cup, you just want to win, you just want to bring the trophy home and celebrate that.
“When you play for Chelsea at the start of the season, people think about which trophy we can have at the end of May, so this one is the important one. We lost the League Cup final, so at the end of the season this is the trophy we can go for.
“I just want to win the trophy, that is it. It does not matter if I score or I do not score.”
And here is the money quote:
“If it is my last game, I hope to bring the trophy. Would it be the perfect farewell? Yes.”
Chelsea vs Arsenal UEFA Europa League Final FYIs
Kickoff: Wednesday, May 29, 8pm, Baku Olympic Stadium
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Injury Report for Both Sides: go to this link
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Arsenal FC
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, also contributes to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.