Hazard hails 'fantastic' Sarri

By Football Italia staff

Eden Hazard has hailed Maurizio Sarri for getting the best out of him this season. “The way he wants to play is the way I want Chelsea to play.”

Hazard has been continually linked with Real Madrid, but in the meantime the Belgium forward has already equalled his best-ever seasonal return under Sarri, with 19 goals and 12 assists to his name.

“It’s easy to understand each other,” he told BBC Sport.

“Statistically it’s my best season, and I like to say that because the way he’s [Sarri] thinking is the same way I think football.

“Sometimes we have lost but, at the end, the way he wants to play is the way I want Chelsea to play.

“I think he is a fantastic manager. After Conte it was not easy. He came here with his own ideas to play football and I think we have done quite well.

“It’s not simple to play the football he wants to play but I think now we have started to understand.

“We are working a lot because this manager is different to Conte, he’s different to Mourinho.

“It’s not easy to change everything but I think we have showed in the past two or three weeks that we have adapted well, and now we want to finish the season well.”

Despite his praise of the former Napoli boss, the 28-year-old made it clear the Blues had to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

“We have to, that’s simple,” he warned.

“The only solution is to finish in the top four or win the Europa League. It’s not just about me - the club has to be in the Champions League.

“We missed the Champions League this season so for the fans, the board, the players and staff, this club has to be in the Champions League every year. It’s our challenge and we can do it.

“Every year, we need to start at the beginning of the season thinking we can win a trophy. It’s hard because [Manchester] City and Liverpool are better than Chelsea, but we are Chelsea - the past 10 years we won a lot of trophies.

“It’s just about mentality. If we want to win something we can do it.”

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