Eden Hazard has told SFR Sport that Chelsea players can play with “their eyes closed” due to the intensity of Antonio Conte’s tactical training.
The superstar Belgian insisted he improved after a week of working with Conte – after two years managed by Jose Mourinho.
HAZARD HAILS ANTONIO CONTE
Conte’s arrival in summer 2016 saw the Chelsea squad given extended training sessions that focused on improving their tactical understanding.
After an unconvincing start to last season, the former Juventus and Italy boss’ switch to a back three sparked an upturn in form that saw Chelsea lift the Premier League title.
Hazard said: “There’s a lot of tactics. It’s not always nice as a forward as you have to run, defend and everything, but at least at the weekend, you know exactly what to do, you can even close your eyes and play. That’s good.
“We work a lot. It’s not always easy in training, there are a lot of hours of training, but it bears fruit on the pitch. We play well, we won last year. You can see that that’s the key to success: work.”
HAZARD’S INDIRECT SWIPE AT MOURINHO
Current Manchester United boss Mourinho enjoyed great success at Chelsea, lifting three Premier League trophies across two spells at the club, but parted company with the Blues in December 2015 after a dismal defence of the side’s 2014/15 title.
The Chelsea star has taken an indirect swipe at Jose Mourinho off the back of the manager’s disastrous final season at Stamford Bridge.
Asked whether he’d benefited from Conte’s sessions to improve the players’ tactical understanding, he said: “You have to. Even after a week I think I had progressed with him.
“But I think he’s shown not just at Chelsea but also at Juve that he’s a good coach and I think he has some good years ahead of him.”
AUTHOR’S TAKE
In heaping praise on Conte, though, the 26-year-old forward appeared to question Mourinho’s tactical understanding by claiming that he bettered his game ‘in a week’ under the Italian. The Belgian international joined Chelsea in 2012 and has become the Blues’ main man ever since. He has lifted 2 Premier League titles, the League Cup and the Europe League with Chelsea. Hazard came off the bench against Arsenal on Sunday as he continues his gradual return from an ankle injury.
