Eden Hazard Opens Up On Mourinho Bust-Up At Chelsea, Names Most Underrated Midfielder He Played With

Former Chelsea player Eden Hazard has lifted the lid on a turbulent spell under Jose Mourinho, recalling a dressing room clash that nearly derailed his early days in west London.

Mourinho returned for his second stint at Stamford Bridge in 2013 and worked with Hazard for two seasons. While the pair enjoyed success together, the Belgian admits it was not always smooth behind the scenes.

Speaking to The Guardian, Hazard revealed one episode that still lingers in his memory.

“I had many confrontations,” Hazard admitted. “One standout incident happened during Mourinho’s first year. I had travelled to Lille to watch a game and, unfortunately, lost my passport on the return trip.

“I was not allowed back into England and I missed training. I returned around 2 pm when the training session was over and I had to apologise to him. It was a really bad moment for me.

“The following week, Mourinho removed me from the team, saying it was my fault. However, by the weekend, I was back on the pitch, and things went well.”

Hazard would go on to become one of Chelsea’s most influential figures in the modern era, winning multiple league titles before sealing a high-profile move to Real Madrid in 2019.

The deal was reportedly worth up to £150 million with add-ons, but injuries restricted him to 76 appearances in Spain. Despite that, he collected two La Liga titles and a Champions League medal before retiring in 2023.

Across spells with Chelsea, Madrid and the Belgium national side, Hazard shared the pitch with some of football’s elite. Yet when asked to name the most underrated midfielder he played alongside, he turned to compatriot Mousa Dembele.

“I have always believed that Mousa Dembélé was one of the best midfielders from that era. People didn’t talk about him a lot because he didn’t score many goals, but the fans in the Premier League know he was one of the best players,” he said.

Dembele, who featured for Fulham and Tottenham, also drew glowing praise from former Cottagers boss Martin Jol.

Jol said after Dembele left Craven Cottage, “We’ve had a few players in the last few years who are really much better than the rest.

“Dembele is likely the best player I’ve ever seen when it comes to handling the ball, and we lost him.”