#3 Can he cope with the pressure?
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Hazard was under a lot of pressure last season when his form dipped and admittedly, he has rebounded well this season. But let’s be honest, the Premier League has nothing on the pressure-cooker that is La Liga, particularly if you play for Real Madrid.
Look at the criticism that Gareth Bale was hit with in 2015 after he went through a bit of a bad patch. And in Real, you’re not only facing insults from the fans, but also from the media. Heavily. Bale’s command of the Spanish language, his relationships with teammates off the pitch, even the way Cristiano Ronaldo looks at him and shakes his hand has been analysed by publications such as Marca.
Could Hazard handle that kind of pressure? He certainly seemed mentally broken at times last season and in the European Championships last summer, when the going got tough for Belgium in games against Italy and Wales, Hazard didn’t exactly get going.
It may have been an issue with the whole Belgium team in a way – reminiscent of some of England’s squads in the mid-2000’s.However, to succeed at Madrid, Hazard will need to deal with pressure unlike any other in football. It wouldn’t be easy.
