The second spell at Chelsea didn’t end well for Jose Mourinho as it truly epitomized the proverbial “third season syndrome” with which he is synonymous. Mourinho was sacked in December of 2015, after the team fell to very low in the table, and he consistently threw his players under the bus.
Chelsea star Eden Hazard has taken partial ownership for all that went wrong that campaign, and even expressed some guilt over it. In a very revealing interview with Belgian newspaper HLN (quotes via Sky Sports), he said it was the only bad season of his career, and he regretted how things ended with Mourinho.
He also gave an apology to Mourinho over how poorly he performed, and here’s the kicker- wishes to play for him again someday.
“In 12 years I’ve only had one bad season, the last six months under Mourinho, and it was partly my own fault,” Eden Hazard said as the first meeting of the season between Manchester United and Chelsea approaches next weekend.
“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.”
“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.”
So while much has been made of the frosty relationship between Eden Hazard and Jose Mourinho, apparently it’s warm enough that the Belgian would welcome a reunion someday.
“I sent him a message to say I was sorry he had gone and that I was sorry,” Hazard added.
“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.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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