Eden Hazard has admitted this season has not been good for Chelsea, but he has told of how the club’s focus will be on winning the Premier League next year.
The Blues have been well under par with their performances and results throughout the campaign, which could see a managerial change happen during the summer. Speculation continues to mount surrounding the future of Antonio Conte, although he has stated he intends to stay until the end of his contract in 2020.
It will remain to be seen if the Italian will be replaced, or left in his current capacity. However, the prospect of no Champions League football will not please owner Roman Abramovich. The former Juventus boss arrived when Chelsea was not involved with the European competition and won the Premier League with ease in his first year at Stamford Bridge.
Hazard: Chelsea’s situation is ‘not good’
However, a club of the Pensioners’ stature will naturally be disappointed not to be competing for one of the world’s most-watched tournaments and that also disappoints the players in the squad, with Hazard one of those.
The Belgium international, who has not had the best season at the Bridge either, has told reporters that it is “not good”, but insisted the best thing they could do is to focus on their title challenge next season and replicate Conte’s first in charge.
“I think it’s not good, because you want to play Champions League every year,” he told Sky Sports ahead of the Blues’ 3-2 comeback against Southampton at the St. Mary’s Stadium.
“So we try to give everything to play the best way we can to finish in the top four. Like I said before, if we are not in the top four, we will play next year for the Premier League, that’s it.”
The comments made by Hazard could signal that he expects to remain at the London outfit for next’s year campaign. Earlier in the month, he declared his happiness at being with the club, amidst interest from Real Madrid, although it remains to be seen if he decides to quit the Bridge six years after joining from Lille.
