Eden Hazard's decline dims the light on Belgium's golden generation

For 7 years in West London, a certain diminutive B

December 5, 2022 Talk Football

Eden Hazard's decline dims the light on Belgium's golden generation

For 7 years in West London, a certain diminutive Belgian ruled supreme. Gifted with the understated brilliance of the truly remarkable, he made mincemeat out of his opponents and was widely regarded as one of the finest imports the English game had ever seen. Fleet-footed, always with a smile on his face, Eden Hazard was a thorn in the side of many a Premier League defender. He combined artistry with class and sheer brilliance and is still remembered by all and sundry in the English game for his contribution.

Alongside the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, he spearheaded Belgium’s run in the 2018 World Cup held in Russia, leading the Red Devils to an impressive 3rd place finish, the highlight of an astonishing crop of players the country had seen in recent times. The much avoided “golden generation” term had been bestowed on them as they looked equipped to cope with any team in world football on their own day.

They had Courtois, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Kompany, Vertonghen, Meunier, Witsel, Naingolaan, Fellaini, De Bruyne, Carrasco, Mertens, Lukaku, Benteke, Origi, Batshuayi, and some other quality players in their squad in the past 10 years, but like some other golden generations, many would rightly wonder if the assembly of superstars could have done better in competitions, given the remarkable talent at their disposal. All good things always come to an end, and it seems that the Belgian era is truly over.

The likes of Vertonghen, Vermaelen and Alderweireld are all expected to announce their retirement from international football in the coming days, while there are even speculations that Hazard and De Bruyne could follow suit. Belgium crashed out of this year’s World Cup at the group stages, finishing 3rd in a group that contained Morocco, Canada and Croatia, and an inquest is sure to be made. There have been allegations of squad disunity, with different players forming factions, signs that are never good in tournament football.

One player can be said to encapsulate the decline of the team, and that’s Eden Hazard. The mercurial winger was arguably the best player at the last World Cup but curiously looks like a pale imitation of what he once was. 32 in January, he has paid the price of two things: not being protected enough by referees when fouled by opposition players and the fact that his nonchalant approach to taking care of himself the right way.

Few would forget the Belgian team in their pomp and glory, with Eden Hazard at the heart of everything beautiful they did, but football is a very unforgiving sport. The Belgian golden generation has gone out in a whimper, and it beggars belief that a team that promised so much ultimately gave so little.