Toni Kroos has stated that he has no sympathy for Eden Hazard’s lack of playing time, claiming that there are players in much worse situations than the Belgian forward.
The former Chelsea player has experienced difficulties with his form, conditioning, and playing time since moving to Real Madrid for a hefty sum in 2019.
He has played for only 98 minutes in La Liga so far this season. He didn’t register any goal nor assist during that little period on the field.
Hazard recently complained his lack of playing time to RTBF, saying: “I want to play. I want to have fun on the field.”
“Training is good but what keeps us alive are the matches. I hope deep inside me that I can bring something and that the coach is still counting on me, I hope.”
“We’ll see if I’m still going to play by the end of the season. I doubt a little. It’s up to me to show him in training that he can call on me.”
Nonetheless, his teammate Kroos has acknowledged that he does not feel sorry for the forward, as reported by Eleven Belgium: “Of course it is a difficult situation, but pity is misplaced in football.”
“I don’t believe Eden has a bad life. You can feel sorry for people who have it much worse than him. It’s not about money, I don’t feel sorry for anyone in football.”
“It’s a tricky situation, yes. And it’s been a long time. But in the end, everyone is partly responsible for their own situation. I know Eden very well, we are often together. But I feel sorry for people who have it very bad and Eden is not one of them.“
Eden Hazard Since Joining Real Madrid
After moving to Madrid from Chelsea in 2019, Hazard’s career has never really taken off because the Belgian international had fitness problems for the first three seasons.
In 2022–23, head coach Carlo Ancelotti once more prioritized other players, leaving Hazard largely on the bench.
Kroos claims that despite his struggles, the 32-year-old is quite fortunate.
In his nearly four years with Madrid, Hazard has never appeared in La Liga more than 18 times in a single season.
In the Spanish top division this season, he has only made three appearances, and Ancelotti explained he has not been starting the winger since he (the coach) is “here to win games.”
Toni Kroos
German-born Toni Kroos, a professional football player for La Liga team Real Madrid, was born on January 4, 1990.
One of the best midfielders of all time, Kroos mostly plays as a center midfielder but has also been used as a playmaker in deep positions.
His vision, passing, creativity, crossing, and set-piece skills are well-known.
Kroos made his debut at the age of 17 in 2007 for Bayern Munich, where he started his professional club career.
He played sparingly and decided to sign a loan deal with Bayer Leverkusen of the same Bundesliga, where he became a major player. In 2010, he returned to his native club with a higher reputation.
Kroos achieved three victories at Bayern, including two consecutive league titles, a UEFA Champions League triumph, two DFB-Pokal triumphs, and three selections to the league team of the season. He transferred to Real Madrid for €25 million in 2014.
At Madrid, Kroos won sixteen trophies, including four UEFA Champions League titles and three consecutive La Liga championships between 2016 and 2018. He was also named to each of those championships’ teams of the season.
