Eden Hazard has spoken openly about the pressure faced by Vinícius Júnior, admitting that he fears the Brazilian star could even retire early because of everything he has to deal with off the pitch.

In an interview with the Belgian public broadcaster RTBF, the former Real Madrid forward explained that the mental burden surrounding Vinícius before matches must be extremely difficult to handle.

“He has so many things on his mind before a match that sometimes I think, ‘poor thing.’ He knows he’s going to go through all of this and that hardly anything changes in terms of sanctions. It must be a burden. I wouldn’t be surprised if at 30 he says he’s leaving, that he’s quitting football, because in any case nothing changes,” Hazard said.

The former captain of the Belgium national football team, who retired at the age of 32, spent four seasons sharing the dressing room with Vinícius at Real Madrid. Although they only played 27 matches together, Hazard said that time was enough for him to understand the Brazilian’s strong character.

According to Hazard, Vinícius has shown he is both mentally and physically strong in the way he deals with constant pressure and scrutiny.

“Now people talk more about what he does or what he suffers than about what he contributes on the pitch. People forget what an exceptional player he is. That must weigh on him. It can’t be easy to go into a match and think only about football,” he added.

Despite the controversies that often surround Vinícius, Hazard said he sees similarities between his own relationship with the game and that of the Brazilian star.

“He’s simply someone who loves football, who loves to play and just wants to have fun. A bit like me when I was on the pitch,” he explained.

If he had the chance to offer advice, Hazard said he would encourage the Real Madrid winger to be cautious while continuing to enjoy the game.

“I’d tell him: ‘Be careful.’ Play the way you want to play, but be careful. People are waiting for you, so play football, have fun and let true football fans enjoy it. When you dance, dance in a way that makes people like you. Ronaldinho danced too, and I don’t remember seeing all these stories,” Hazard concluded.

********************************************************

You can now download the Madridista News App for free on the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can follow us on Facebook here.

You can follow us on X (Twitter) here.                                                                    

You can follow us on Instagram here.

You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

You can follow us on Telegram here.

You can follow us on TikTok here.

You can join our WhatsApp channel here.