When Eden Hazard Played Like a Hungover Uni Student — And Still Scored a Sensational Hat-Trick
Eden Hazard had already established himself as a club icon when it came time to bid Lille farewell. He was obviously not going out with a whimper.
Hazard’s light shone even brighter the next year, finishing as Lille’s top scorer with a career-best 22 goals.
He had already been a notable performer in the team’s incredible 2010–11 Ligue 1 victory, the club’s first league title in more than 50 years.
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Twenty of those goals and sixteen assists were scored in the league. obscene stats that surpass even Neymar’s current performance in the French premier division.
The Belgium international’s talent clearly belonged at one of the top clubs in Europe.
As it turned out, he quickly put an end to years of long-running tabloid rumours at the end of the season by announcing on Twitter that he was joining Chelsea, the European champions.
However, Hazard was still in France, playing one final game with his Lille teammates while Roberto Di Matteo’s Blues played out that final in Munich.
Rio Mavuba, a former captain of Lille, later said, “We were certain to finish third and we were facing Nancy the following day.” Eden Hazard wanted to plan a small event for his final game against Lille.
We made the decision to go get a small drink. A small drink that took a long time. Eden was still intoxicated the next morning.
Eden scored a hat-trick against Nancy that evening before even thirty minutes had passed. When kickoff rolled around, there was definitely no sign of a hangover.
He had a boyish smile on his face as he looked out over a packed Stadium Lille Metropole, which was also Lille’s final game there following an eight-year exile in the out-of-town athletics venue.
The stadium was filled with Belgian flags and banners that read “Merci Eden,” expressing their love for a 21-year-old who had already established himself as one of the greatest players in the club’s history.
The line was led by Brazilian striker Tulio de Melo, with Hazard providing support from the right, Dimitri Payet on the opposite flank, Joe Cole playing in the No. 10 position, Idrissa Gueye, a future PSG player, at the base of midfield, and Lucas Digne, an 18-year-old academy graduate, making an early appearance at left-back.
The players appeared to enjoy the lack of pressure in a game that felt more like a testimonial, and it didn’t take that special side long to wreak havoc against midtable Nancy. They were there to have fun, just like the previous evening.
After some incredible one-touch play between Cole and De Melo in the middle of the park, Hazard was eliminated in less than ten minutes. His finish was flawless.
There was some choreography in what seemed to be a less-than-subtle homage to the previous night’s antics, or the opposite, tilting their necks back to simulate drinking alcohol, as they stood in a group to rejoice.
The visitors were able to tie the score in a matter of minutes thanks to some careless defence at a set-piece, as Nancy full-back Reynald Lemaitre found himself free to send a glancing head in at the near post.
There was no lack of sharpness in the slick passing or dead-eyed finishing for the opening goal.
However, Lille were determined not to let Hazard’s farewell celebration be spoilt, and Payet quickly turned his man with a signature smooth touch before nutmegging another Nancy defender to set up De Melo, who tapped in to restore the lead in the twenty-first minute.
With a young Hazard at the height of his abilities, Nancy had enough to worry about. Do you also have to deal with an in-the-mood Payet? That is simply unkind.
With a young Hazard at the height of his abilities, Nancy had enough to worry about. Do you also have to deal with an in-the-mood Payet? That is simply unkind.
Lille scented blood and swiftly put Nancy to the sword when a lead was re-established and the heavy rain failed to dampen the celebration atmosphere.
Payet demonstrated another string to his bow when looping the ball over Nancy’s backline after receiving it just outside the centre circle.
Hazard was on his toes to read the pass and dart into the empty space for the second time in thirty minutes, indicating that the alcohol in his system had not diminished his attacking instincts.
If you’re over thirty, it’s likely that you’ll reflect nostalgically on how your 21-year-old self was able to recover from the consequences of a stressful night like a little cold.
It’s likely that you couldn’t have timed your run, calmly controlled a ball that came over your shoulder, and then had enough poise to slip it past an oncoming custodian. That is merely a show-off.
The Belgian was given a fantastic opportunity to score his third goal after only 34 minutes when Payet was touched in the area. It never seemed like a chance he could miss, just like his first two golden opportunities.
De Melo expressed his appreciation to the greatest player he had ever played with by lifting Hazard onto his shoulders to celebrate his first-half hat-trick.
As he subsequently told Goal, Hazard was “a very good boy – but a bit debauched.” With an hour to spare, Hazard fulfilled his promise of a flawless send-off.
From that point on, everything that needed to be done was quickly resolved, and the game drifted.
However, Lille manager Rudi Garcia replaced the half-drunk hero with Mavuba during injury time, giving the supporters another opportunity to express their gratitude.
Hazard gave each of his teammates a hug before trudging off the pitch at Lille for the final time, giving the fans a standing ovation in return.
His replacement recounted, “The guy had not even slept, he drank all night, and he put away a hat-trick in [just over] 30 minutes.”
“We all told ourselves that this guy was the real deal as we looked at each other.” There are no disagreements here.
