Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard has explained why his infamous sending off for kicking a Swansea ballboy in 2013 played into his hands after he received a three-match ban over the incident. Hazard was involved in a fiery moment during the League Cup semi-final second leg which saw Chelsea 2-0 down on aggregate at the Liberty Stadium when ballboy Charlie Morgan tried to hold on to the ball to run down the clock as his side looked to reach the final.
Hazard who retired from football in October after leaving Real Madrid has since re-united worth Morgan, who is now a successful businessman worth over £40million thanks to his vodka empire. As the Belgian attempted to hook the ball out his arms, appearing to kick him in the process, he was given his marching orders by referee Chris Foy to cap off a night to forget for Chelsea.
Reflecting on the moment while speaking to ex-team-mate John Obi Mikel on the Obi One podcast, Hazard revealed the red card was a good thing for him. When asked if it was a bad moment for him, Hazard said it actually came at the perfect time because his wife Natacha was about to have a baby.
Hazard posted several other pictures on his Instagram account, showing the two looking at a chess board that had several bottles of AU Vodka on it. They were also seen driving a golf buggy together around a golf course, with Hazard posting a picture of himself lining up a putt as the former Swansea ball boy watched on in the distance.
Hazard and Natacha who got married in 2012 have had four children together. That chat between Hazard and Morgan saw the pair pose while taking pictures and holding up glasses of Morgan’s blue raspberry vodka. Elsewhere on the podcast, Hazard also spoke out about his weight during his career and revealed how he would return from pre-season overweight every year after rumours he would often arrive out of shape.
‘It was true,’ Hazared said. ‘But me, every summer I was putting on four or five kilos because I was thinking you give so much for 10 months, you put your body at the highest level and people kick you, so your time off is your time off. ‘Don’t ask me to do anything. I enjoy being with my family, going to the beach, so don’t ask me to run in those three or four weeks. I can play football on the beach with my kids, no problem, but don’t ask me to run.
‘But if you look throughout my career, the first month [of the season] is the bit where I was thinking it’s just the beginning, and then from September and October I was flying, because I needed time to put my body and mind in the best way. ‘So yes, it’s true, I came back after holidays with five kilos, I knew it. ‘As a Belgian guy, we love beers because my country has the best beers in the world, so I’m not telling you I used to drink every day because it’s not true, but sometimes after a good game, one or two is nice.’
Hazard’s seven years of success at Chelsea saw the Blues win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups and two Europa League trophies. Eden Hazard was speaking on the Obi One Podcast.
