Eden Hazard has defended himself against claims he had a helping hand in Jose Mourinho being sacked by Chelsea, saying he never wanted the Portuguese coach to leave the club.
Hazard endured a poor 2015/16 season as last year’s PFA Player of the Year went without scoring a Premier League goal until April, by which time Mourinho had already been sacked by Chelsea.
The Blues decided to part ways with the 53-year-old for the second time after Chelsea’s disastrous start to the season left the champions hovering above the relegation zone.
Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo later said it was obvious there was “palpable discord” between Mourinho and his players, with Hazard being heavily criticised by fans for his performances during the club’s poor start to the season.
But the Belgium international has insisted he wanted Mourinho to stay and was fully behind the Portuguese coach, who has since become Manchester United’s new manager.
“People say what they want,” Hazard told French newspaper L’Equipe when asked about claims he was to blame in part for Mourinho leaving Chelsea in December.
“It was a period where I wasn’t playing well. But deep down I never wanted Mourinho to be fired. I was behind him.
“We experienced some great things. This year I wasn’t as good. But I picked myself up. I took it upon myself. I was criticised a lot. I made do with it. It doesn’t affect me. I’ve come back well, quite simply.
“I haven’t had a good year. You have to be clear — I’ve had a rubbish year apart from the final month [for Chelsea]. I had little problems, injuries and a loss of form.
“When I got back to 100 percent at the end of the season, I showed everything that I could do. I hope to continue that way.”
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