Former Chelsea player Eden Hazard, who spent time in Ligue 1, recently spoke with L’Equipe on many topics. The Belgian discussed one specific matter: former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti.
Hazard had high praise for the Italian and noted that he would tune into PSG matches to watch Verratti. Furthermore, Hazard saw the 2020 UEFA Euro winner up close, as PSG and Chelsea have had encounters in the UEFA Champions League.
“I was watching PSG for Verratti,” Hazard told the French media outlet. “No matter his lifestyle, his boxes, he couldn’t change. It’s a bit of the same mold as me. He dribbles in his area. Maybe he loses the ball and scores behind it. “Yeah Verratti. ” He doesn’t care. He’s going to do it again. Hats off to the artist. You made me love it!”
Eden Hazard : « Je regardais le PSG pour Verratti. Peu importe son hygiène de vie, ses cartons, il ne pouvait pas changer. C'est un peu le même moule que moi. Il dribble dans sa surface, peut-être il perd le ballon et but derrière. "Ouais Verratti…" Il s'en fout, il va… pic.twitter.com/dkd6JGPkOS
— Hadrien Grenier (@hadrien_grenier) February 3, 2024
However, PSG bid farewell to Verratti last summer as they opted for a different direction. The 31-year-old midfielder joined Qatari club Al-Arabi, concluding his 11-year tenure in Paris.
Verratti’s transfer fee reportedly reached €45 million, setting a new record for the Qatar league. The seasoned player initially joined PSG from Serie B side Pescara in the summer of 2012.
During his time at PSG, Verratti secured nine Ligue 1 titles and played a pivotal role in the club’s journey to the 2019-20 Champions League final, where they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Bayern Munich.
