Former Chelsea and Real Madrid star Eden Hazard has described Pep Guardiola as “probably the best coach in history”.
Hazard made the remark while speaking about his former Belgium teammate Vincent Kompany, who is currently the head coach Bayern Munich.
Hazard explains Kompany’s rise as a coach
Kompany has quickly established himself as one of Europe’s most promising young managers following a spell in charge of Burnley and now Bayern Munich.
Kompany’s Bayern Munich travel to Italy to face Atalanta on Tuesday night for the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League tie.
According to Hazard, the Belgian’s development as a coach may have been influenced by the years he spent playing under Guardiola at Manchester City.
Speaking to Belgian broadcaster RTBF, Hazard reflected on Kompany’s career and the impact Guardiola could have had on him.
“He was a top-level player,” Hazard said. “But was he going to become one of the best coaches in the world? You can never know.”
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“During his career, he spent many years with probably the best coach in history, Pep Guardiola.”
Guardiola praise comes before Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Hazard’s comments arrive just days before Real Madrid vs Manchester City, one of the most anticipated fixtures in European football.
Guardiola’s Manchester City have faced Real Madrid several times in recent Champions League seasons, producing some of the competition’s most dramatic encounters.
The Catalan coach is widely regarded as one of the most influential managers of the modern era, having won 40 major honours with FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
Eden Hazard-Real Madrid: Big hopes that didn’t deliver
Hazard played for Real Madrid between 2019 and 2023 after joining from Chelsea in a transfer worth up to €150 million.
However, injuries prevented the Belgian forward from replicating the form that made him one of the Premier League’s standout players during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Despite the difficult spell in Spain, Hazard remains one of Belgium’s greatest ever players and will forever go down in Premier League folklore for his unique ability that helped the Blues to multiple trophies.
