Could Eden Hazard have played for FC Barcelona? As strange as this statement may sound, it was quite close to becoming a reality. At least that's how Bojan Krkić Sr. explained it, who at one time served as a scout for Barça and recently, in an interview, revealed why, despite the fact that the Blaugrana had their eye on the Belgian 'gem,' they didn't end up pursuing him.
In an interview with the program 'El Bar' on Cadena Ser, Krkić Sr. began by recounting how Eden Hazard came into Barcelona's orbit. "I met him at the U-17 Euros, where my son (Bojan Krkić Jr.) was playing. Belgium reached the final, but Spain won it; Hazard played brilliantly throughout the tournament, except for the final. He then signed for Lille," stated the former Barça scout.
Why didn't FC Barcelona sign Eden Hazard?
Subsequently, Krkić Sr. didn't hesitate to reveal the reason that made him start having doubts about Eden Hazard, linking it to something beyond his quality as a player. "I went to watch him against Montpellier. It was August, and one player was missing during warm-up; everyone was in short sleeves, and Hazard came out in a tracksuit. The team was warming up together, but he was the opposite; they were stretching, he was looking at the stands. He played well, but I didn't like his commitment and attitude," he commented.
Finally, Krkić Sr. explained why he decided to completely dismiss suggesting FC Barcelona to sign him, despite his imminent projection as a future 'top' player. "I went to watch him three days later against Angers. He was on the bench, like other starters. Everyone was warming up, and he was walking around. The fitness coach told them to stretch, and he was watching the game. I marked 'rejected' in the report," he concluded.
Beyond that, Krkić Sr. reflected on the different scenarios that can arise with signing players of this profile. "These types of players, who are very good, have shown me that they have not delivered results; both when they were my teammates and when I was a scout for Barça. My report was: top quality, technically and tactically; but due to attitude and personality, with more details, I discarded him," he concluded.
Did time prove Krkić Sr. right?
Ultimately, it is clear that perhaps time has proven Bojan Krkić Sr. right, as, despite his outstanding spell at LOSC Lille, which earned him a move to Chelsea, where he established himself as one of the most destabilizing left wingers and one of the best individual players in the world, the end of his career after joining Real Madrid was marked by great inconsistency in his performance. Of course, this was largely associated with the injuries he suffered during his time at the Spanish club, but it remains a notable reality that it may have also been an attitudinal issue for a player who never seemed to quite fit in with the Madrid club.