Armed procession of the Holy League in Paris in 1590, Musée Carnavalet.

The Catholic League of France, sometimes referred to by contemporary (and modern) Roman Catholics as the Holy League, a major player in the French Wars of Religion, was formed by Duke Henry of Guise in 1576.^[1] The League intended the eradication of Protestants—also known as Calvinists or Huguenots—out of Catholic France during the Protestant Reformation.

Pope Sixtus V, Philip II of Spain, and the Jesuits were all supporters of this Catholic party.

The Catholic League's political origins[link]

Procession de la Ligue dans l'Ile de la Cité by François II Bunel (1522-1599). Musée Carnavalet.

As Protestantism expanded through parts of Europe, leaders of Catholic nations, in particular Philip II of Spain, and the Pope, felt threatened. In an effort to counter the growing power of Lutherans, Calvinists, and members of the Reformed Church of France, they formed a league to stop the spread of these Protestant factions. The Protestant Calvinists at that time dominated much of the French nobility, leading to active persecution of Catholics in some regions.

The League was spearheaded by Henry, the Duke of Guise, who used it not only to defend the Catholic cause, but also as a political tool in an attempt to usurp the French throne.^[2][3]

The Catholic League of France aimed to preempt any seizure of power by the Huguenots and to protect French Catholics' right to worship. The Catholic League's cause was fueled by the doctrine Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus. Catholic Leaguers saw their fight against Calvinism (the primary branch of Protestantism in France) as a Crusade against heresy. The League's pamphleteers also blamed any natural disaster that occurred in France at the time as God's way of punishing France for tolerating the existence of the Calvinist heresy.^{[citation needed]}

Procession de la Ligue dans l'Ile de la Cité (detail) by François II Bunel (1522-1599). Musée Carnavalet.

What is the final judgement on the Catholic League? It would be a mistake to treat it, as so many historians have, as nothing more than a body motivated purely by partisan politics or social tensions. While political and social pressures were doubtless present, and even significant in the case of the Sixteen in Paris, to focus on these factors exclusively overlooks a very different face of the League. For all its political and internecine wrangling, the League was still very much a Holy Union. Its religious role was significant, as the League was the conduit between the Tridentine spirituality of the Catholic Reformation and the seventeenth century devots. Often overlooked is the emphasis the League placed on the internal and spiritual renewal of the earthly city. Moving beyond the communal religion of the later Middle Ages, the League focused on internalizing faith as a cleansing and purifying agent. New religious orders and confraternities were founded in League towns, and the gulf separating laity and clergy was often bridged as clerics joined aldermen in the Hotel de Ville where both became the epitome of goodly magistrates. To overlook the religious side of the League is to overlook the one bond that did keep the Holy Union holy as well as united.^[4]

After a series of bloody clashes, the French Wars of Religion (1562–1598), between Catholics and Protestants, the Catholic League formed in an attempt to break the power of the Calvinist gentry once and for all. The Catholic League saw the French throne under Henry III as too conciliatory towards the Huguenots. The League, similar to hardline Calvinists, disapproved of Henry III's attempts to mediate any coexistence between the Huguenots and Catholics. The Catholic League also saw moderate French Catholics, known as Politiques, as a serious threat. The Politiques were tired of the many tit for tat killings and were willing to negotiate peaceful coexistence rather than escalating the war.

History of the League[link]

Assassination of the Duke of Guise, leader of the Catholic League, by king Henry III, in 1588.

The League immediately began to exert pressure on Henry III of France. Faced with this mounting opposition (spurred in part because the heir to the French throne, Henry of Navarre, was a Huguenot) he canceled the Peace of La Rochelle, re-criminalizing Protestantism and beginning a new chapter in the French Wars of Religion. However, Henry also saw the danger posed by the Duke of Guise, who was gaining more and more power. In the Day of the Barricades, King Henry III was forced to flee Paris, which resulted in Henry, Duke of Guise becoming the de-facto ruler of France. Afraid of being deposed and assassinated, the King decided to strike first. On December 23, 1588, Henry III's guardsmen assassinated the Duke and his brother, Louis II and the Duke's son was imprisoned in the Bastille.

However, this move did little to consolidate the King's power and enraged both the surviving Guises and their followers. As a result, the King fled Paris and joined forces with Henry of Navarre, the throne's Calvinist heir apparent. Both the King and Henry of Navarre began building an army with which to besiege Paris. On August 1, 1589, as the two Henrys besieged the city and prepared for their final assault, Father Jacques Clément a Dominican priest with ties to the League, successfully infiltrated the King's entourage and assassinated him. This was retaliation for the killing of the Duke of Guise and his brother. As he lay dying, the King begged Henry of Navarre to convert to Catholicism, calling it the only way to prevent further bloodshed. However, the King's death threw the army into disarray and Henry of Navarre was forced to lift the siege.

Henry IV, as Hercules vanquishing the Lernaean Hydra (i.e. the Catholic League), by Toussaint Dubreuil, circa 1600. Louvre Museum.

Although Henry of Navarre was now the legitimate King of France, the League's armies were so strong that he was unable to capture Paris and was forced to retreat south. Using arms and military advisors provided by Elizabeth I of England, he achieved several military victories. However, he was unable to overcome the superior forces of the League, which commanded the loyalty of most Frenchmen and had the support of Philip II of Spain. The League then attempted to declare the Cardinal of Bourbon, Henry's uncle, as king Charles X of France on November 21, 1589, but his status as a prisoner of Henry of Navarre and his death in May 1590 removed all legitimacy from this gesture. Furthermore, the Cardinal refused to usurp the throne and supported his nephew, although to little avail.

Unable to provide a viable candidate for the French throne (the League's support was split among several candidates, including Isabella, a Spanish princess, which made them appear to no longer have French interests at heart), the League's position weakened, but remained strong enough to keep Henry from besieging Paris. Finally, in a bid to peacefully end the war, Henry of Navarre was received into the Roman Catholic Church on July 25, 1593 and was recognized as King Henry IV on February 27, 1594. He later said, "Paris is well worth a Mass."

Under the rule of King Henry IV, the Edict of Nantes was passed, granting religious toleration and limited autonomy to the Huguenots and ensuring a lasting peace for France. Moreover, the Catholic League now lacked the threat of a Calvinist king and gradually disintegrated.^[3]

References[link]

• Baumgartner, Frederic J. Radical Reactionaries: The Political Thought of the French Catholic League (Geneva:Droz) 1976
• Jensen, De Lamar Diplomacy and Dogmatism: Bernardino de Mendoza and the French Catholic League Mendoza's role in Philip II's intervening foreign policy.
• Konnert, Mark "Local politics in the French Wars of Religion"
• Leonardo, Dalia M. "Cut off this rotten member": The Rhetoric of Heresy, Sin, and Disease in the Ideology of the French Catholic League" The Catholic Historical Review 88.2, (April 2002:247-262).
• Yardeni, Myriam "La Conscience nationale en France pendant les guerres de religion"

See also[link]

• Catholic League (disambiguation) for other similarly named coalitions.
• Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur, one of its leaders
• Politiques, term applied to those who resisted the French Catholic League

Eden Hazard

Personal information
Full name	Eden Hazard
Date of birth	(1991-01-07) 7 January 1991 (age 21)
Place of birth	La Louvière, Belgium
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position	Attacking midfielder Winger
Club information
Current club	Lille
Number	10
Youth career
1995–2003	Royal Stade Brainois
2003–2005	Tubize
2005–2007	Lille
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2007–	Lille	147	(36)
National team‡
2006	Belgium U15	5	(1)
2006	Belgium U16	4	(2)
2006–2008	Belgium U17	17	(2)
2007–2009	Belgium U19	11	(6)
2008–	Belgium	27	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:38, 31 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:20, 25 May 2012 (UTC)

Eden Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian international footballer who currently plays for French club Lille in Ligue 1 and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Hazard is known for his creativity, speed, and technical ability and is described as a "fearless, explosive attacking midfielder who can change the game with a turn of pace or a dribble".^[2][3][4] He has also been described as "a defender's nightmare" and has earned critical acclaim for his playing style, which has led to the media, coaches, and players drawing comparisons to FIFA World Player of the Year winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.^{[2][5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Hazard is the son of former Belgian footballers and began his football career in Belgium playing for local clubs Royal Stade Brainois and Tubize. In 2005, he moved to France joining first division club Lille. Hazard spent two years in the club's academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November 2007. In his first full season as a starter, he won the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year award becoming the first non-French player to win the award.^[11] In the 2009–10 season, Hazard captured the award again becoming the first player to win the award twice.^[12] He was also named to the league's Team of the Year. Since making his debut in 2007, Hazard has become an integral part of the club under manager Rudi Garcia racking up over 190 appearances. In the 2010–11 season, he was a part of the Lille team that won the league and cup double and, as a result of his performances, was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player to win the award.^[13] Hazard was also given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo for his performances during the 2010–11 season.^[14]

Hazard is a Belgium international, having represented his nation at under-17 and under-19 level. Prior to starring for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that qualified for the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Hazard made his senior international debut in November 2008, at the age of 17 years and 316 days, in a friendly match against Luxembourg. Nearly three years after his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan in October 2011.

Personal life[link]

Hazard was born in the city of La Louvière, but was raised in Braine-le-Comte, a small town in the Wallonia region. He grew up in a family where football was dominant. His mother, Carine and father, Thierry (not to be confused with the French singer and songwriter of the same name) were both footballers in Belgium. His father spent most of his career playing at semi-professional level with R.A.A. Louviéroise in the Belgian Second Division.^[15] He played mainly as a defensive midfielder.^[15] His mother played as a striker in the Belgian Women's First Division and stopped playing when she was three months pregnant with Eden.^[15][16] After playing football, both parents became sports professors.^[15] Thierry retired from his position in 2009 in order to devote more time to his children.^[15]

Hazard is the oldest of four children. He has three brothers, all of whom play football. Thorgan currently plays for Lille's biggest rivals RC Lens.^[17][18][19] Hazard's other younger brothers are Kylian, 16, and Ethan, seven. In August 2011, Kylian joined the youth academy of Lille after a deal had been agreed to allow him to join the club when he turned 16, while Ethan remains in Belgium playing in the youth academy of Eden's former club A.F.C. Tubize.^{[15][17][20][21]} Hazard and his three brothers were raised in a comfortable environment with their parents ensuring they had whatever they needed to excel.^[22] The family lived "no more than three meters" from a football training ground and the brothers often ventured onto a training pitch through a small hole in order to hone and develop their skills.^[16] Hazard is currently in a relationship with girlfriend Natasha. On 19 December 2010, Belgian and French media announced that she had given birth to a baby boy.^[23][24]

Club career[link]

Early career[link]

Hazard began his football career playing for hometown club Royal Stade Brainois at the age of four. During his time at the club, one of his youth coaches described him as a "gifted" player who "knew everything. I had nothing to teach him".^[25] Hazard spent eight years at the club before moving to Tubize. While at Tubize, he was spotted by a Lille scout while playing in a local tournament with the club. The scout's subsequent report on the player prompted club officials to meet with Hazard's father and offer the young player an aspirant (youth) contract.^[26] Hazard's parents accepted the offer with hopes that the training facilities in France would be better.^[22] Hazard's father later admitted that the decision to let Eden and, later Thorgan, join clubs in the North of France was the best solution stating "They remained so close to home and, at the same time, they integrated at structures where they could grow, because in Belgium, unfortunately, it's a little empty for the training of youth".^[16]

Lille[link]

In his first year as a professional, Hazard was coached by Claude Puel.

Hazard joined Lille in 2005 and spent two years developing in the club's local sports school, due to its youth academy in Luchin not being in operation at that time.^[27] On 28 May 2007, he signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three year deal with Lille.^[26] At the start of the 2007–08 season, at the age of 16, Hazard was promoted to the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football, though he still played with Lille's under-18 team in its league and the Coupe Gambardella. Hazard made his amateur debut on 1 September 2007 in a league match against Racing Club de France appearing as a second half substitute in a 3–1 defeat.^[28] He made his first start a week later in the team's 1–0 defeat to Lesquin.^[29]

After spending the majority of October and the early part of November playing with the club's under-18 team, on 14 November, due to several players being on international duty, Hazard was called up to the senior team by manager Claude Puel to participate in a friendly match against Belgian club Bruges on 16 November.^[30] He appeared as a substitute in the match and, as a result of his performance, was included in the 18-man squad to face Nancy in a league match on 24 November.^[31] Hazard, subsequently, made his professional debut in the match coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute.^[32] Hazard returned to the club's reserve team and spent December playing with the squad. Following the winter break, Hazard returned to the first team in January and made substitute appearances in three league matches against Metz, Sochaux, and Paris Saint-Germain.^[33][34][35] Following the match against Paris Saint-Germain, he was demoted back to amateur level where he played concurrently with the reserve team in the fourth division and the under-18 team in the Coupe Gambardella. On 17 May 2008, he scored his first amateur goal in a 3–2 victory over Vitré.^[36] Hazard finished his amateur career with 11 appearances and one goal, helping the reserve team finished in fifth place, which was first among professional clubs' reserve teams playing in the group.^[37][38]

2008–09 season[link]

Hazard has spent the last four years under the tutelage of manager Rudi Garcia.

For the 2008–09 season, Hazard was given the number 26 shirt after playing with the number 33 shirt in his debut season. He was also promoted to the senior team permanently by new manager Rudi Garcia. Early on, he made substitute appearances regularly making his season debut as a substitute on 14 September 2008 against Sochaux in a 1–1 draw.^[39] One of his substitute appearances proved beneficial against Auxerre on 20 September. With Lille trailing 2–1 in the waning minutes of the match, Hazard, after Lille took a corner kick, quickly scooped up a short clearance from Auxerre and took a right-footed shot just outside the box. It beat the keeper and drew the score 2–2 in the 88th minute.^[40] With Lille's confidence high, the club won the match 3–2 in injury time following a goal from Tulio de Melo.^[41] Hazard's first career goal resulted in him becoming the youngest goalscorer in the club's history.^[42] Four days after scoring his first professional goal, Hazard made his first professional start in a 4–2 defeat on penalties to Montpellier in the Coupe de la Ligue.^[43] After featuring as a substitute in the team's next five league matches, on 15 November, Hazard made his first professional league start against Saint-Étienne. He capped the appearance by scoring the opening goal in the club's 3–0 victory.^[44] His assured performances with the club resulted in Lille offering him a three year contract extension, which he agreed to on 18 November 2008, tying him to the club until 2012.^[45]

After featuring as a substitute in December, Hazard returned to the starting lineup in January. On 23 January, he scored the second goal in a 3–0 win over amateur club Dunkerque in Round of 32 of the Coupe de France.^[46] Two weeks later, he scored the match-winning goal in a league match against Sochaux and, on 22 February, assisted on the winner against Monaco.^[47][48] In the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France, Hazard netted a goal in a 3–2 win over the competition's defending champions Lyon.^[49] On 26 April, he scored the opening goal against Marseille, though Lille lost the match 2–1.^[50] In the final ten league matches of the campaign, Hazard started eight and contributed to the team finishing in fifth place, which resulted in Lille qualifying for the newly-created UEFA Europa League. After the season, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year, becoming the first international player to achieve the honor.^[12]

2009–10 season[link]

Following the 2008–09 season, constant media speculation occurred in numerous countries regarding Hazard's availability on the transfer market. Despite Lille chairman Michel Seydoux declaring the player off limits and Hazard stating that he wanted to remain at the club for at least another season, several clubs declared interest in the player.^[52][53] These included English clubs Arsenal and Manchester United, Italian club Internazionale, and Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. French football legend Zinedine Zidane personally recommended the player to the latter club.^{[54][55][56][57][58]}

Hazard began the 2009–10 season on a positive note scoring in Lille's first competitive match of the season. The goal, contributing to the team's 2–0 victory, came against Serbian club FK Sevojno in the first leg of the club's third qualifying round match in the UEFA Europa League.^[59] On 27 August, he scored his second career European goal in the club's second leg tie in the playoff round against Belgian club Genk. It was Lille's final goal in the club's 4–2 victory.^[60] The 6–3 aggregate scoreline assured the club progression to the Europa League group stage. On 22 October, he scored a goal in Lille's important 3–0 victory over Italian club Genoa in the 84th minute after entering as a substitute 10 minutes prior. Upon receiving the ball on the left wing, Hazard proceeded to dash through the midfield dribbling past six Genoa defenders before finishing at the 18-yard box.^[61][62] A month later, Hazard was instrumental in Lille's 5–1 thrashing of Czech club Slavia Prague as he was partly responsible for the opening goal — slicing through the defense and delivering a cross near post, which awkwardly went off Slavia player Marek Suchý resulting in an own goal.^[63]

On 20 December, he scored his first league goal of the season in the club's 3–0 win over Le Mans. Hazard also provided both the assists on the other two goals.^[64] On 30 January, Hazard scored the only goal in Lille's win over Derby du Nord rivals Lens.^[65] The victory helped the club achieve stability in the league by keeping them in the UEFA Champions League places. It also ended a disaster of a week which saw Lille suffer elimination from both of France's cup competitions. Five days later, Hazard and Lille reached an agreement on a contract extension, which will keep the player at the club until 2014.^[66][67] On 11 March, Hazard scored the only goal in Lille's victory over English club Liverpool in the first leg of the club's UEFA Europa League tie converting a free kick in the 83rd minute.^[68] Three weeks later, Hazard provided two assists in the club's 4–1 win over fellow title contenders Montpellier.^[69] The two passes brought his league tally to seven, tied for second in the league. For his impressive displays in the month of March, Hazard was given the UNFP Player of the Month award.^[70]

On 29 April, Hazard was nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award. He was also nominated, for the second consecutive season, for the Young Player of the Year award.^[71] On 9 May, Hazard was awarded the UNFP Young Player of the Year trophy for the second consecutive season. He became the first player since its inception in 1994 to win the award twice.^[12] Hazard lost out on the Player of the Year award, which was awarded to Lyon striker Lisandro López.

2010–11 season[link]

Hazard began the 2010–11 campaign as a starter featuring in Lille's first six league matches of the season, as well as matches in the UEFA Europa League. On 29 August 2010, he scored his first goal of the season in a 1–1 draw with Nice.^[72] In late September, Hazard began to struggle with inconsistency and was benched by Garcia in an effort to "allow him (Hazard) to breathe and learn that his performances were insufficient".^[73] Hazard, subsequently, appeared as a substitute in the team's 2–1 defeat to Portuguese club Sporting in the Europa League and as a substitute in the next three league matches against Toulouse, Montpellier, and Lyon.^[74][75][76] Hazard later admitted that his first bout of inconsistency affected him stating "The first two months were a bit tough. I wouldn’t say that I began doubting my abilities, but I definitely went through a really patchy spell".^[77]

On 7 October, Belgium national team manager Georges Leekens, citing Hazard's recent spell on the bench at Lille, said that the player needed to work harder, both physically and mentally, to regain his past year's form. The team's assistant coach, Marc Wilmots, also stated that Hazard often displayed a lazy mentality while training with the national team.^[78] Garcia responded to Leekens comments the following day stating that he thought they were "excessive" and that "Eden is only 19 years old" and can still "make more progress in all areas."^[79] Following Belgium's match against Kazakhstan, in which Hazard failed to start or even appear on the substitute's bench, Leekens responded to Garcia's comments declaring that he would stand by his previous comments and that players must think about the team and not themselves.^[80] Hazard, himself, later reflected on Leekens and Garcia comments in February 2011 stating "I learned a lot during those few weeks, mentally speaking. And since then things have got better. The national side has had a fair bit to do with that – I get a lot out of being a part of it".^[77]

Following the international break, Hazard recaptured his scoring form netting the final goal in Lille's 4–1 victory over Caen in the Coupe de la Ligue on 27 October.^[81] Ten days later, he scored his second league goal of the season in a 3–1 win against the league table leaders Brest.^[82] On 21 November, Hazard assisted on both Lille's goals in a 2–1 win over Monaco.^[83] The victory continued the club's domestic unbeaten streak, which led to Lille topping the league table following an emphatic 6–3 victory against Lorient on 5 December.^[84] At the turn of the calendar year, Hazard scored in the team's first match against amateur club Forbach in the Coupe de France. Lille won the match 3–1.^[85] In the team's following match, he assisted on goals scored by Moussa Sow and Gervinho in a 2–0 league victory over Nice.^[86] On 19 January, Hazard scored the second goal in a 3–0 victory over Nancy.^[87] On 4 March, Lille officials confirmed that Hazard had added an extra year to his contract. The new deal ties him to the club until 2015.^[88][89] In his first match after the news, Hazard scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–1 away win over title rivals Marseille.^[90] The goal was scored on a left-footed shot from almost 35 metres (38 yd) out and was clocked at 95 km/h (59 mph).^[91]

On 2 April, Hazard capped his 100th league appearance with Lille by scoring the second goal in a 3–1 win over Caen.^[92] The goal tied his career-high for goals in a season and also moved Lille eight points clear at the top of the league table.^[93] For his performances in the month of March, Hazard was named the UNFP Player of the Month for the second time in his career.^[94] On 19 April, after appearing as a first half substitute, he scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–0 Coupe de France semi-final victory over Nice.^[95] The victory inserted the club into the 2011 Coupe de France Final; the club's first appearance in the competition's final since 1955. On 7 May, Hazard converted a game-winning free-kick goal in the team's 1–0 win over Nancy.^[96] Three days later, he was nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season.^[97] In the Coupe de France final, Hazard played 89 minutes as Lille defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1–0 at the Stade de France.^[98] A week later, Lille clinched the Ligue 1 title by drawing 2–2 away to Paris Saint-Germain, achieving the club's first league championship since the 1953–54 season and the club's first double since the 1945–46 season.^[99][100] The domestic cup and league title were the first two honours in Hazard's career. On the day after Lille won the league, Hazard was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player ever to win the award.^[101] He was also rewarded with a place in the organization's Team of the Year for the second consecutive season.^[13]

2011–12 season[link]

Ahead of the 2011–12 season, Hazard switched to the number 10 shirt.^[102] In Lille's first competitive match of the season against Marseille in the 2011 Trophée des Champions, Hazard scored the team's second goal, which put Lille up 2–0. Marseille would later come back to win the match 5–4.^[103] On 20 August, in the team's third league match of the season, Hazard assisted on Lille's opening goal, scored by Benoît Pedretti, in a 2–1 win over Caen.^[104] A month later on 10 September, he scored two goals in a 3–1 away victory against Saint-Étienne.^[105][106] Fours days after, Hazard made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 2–2 group stage draw with Russian club CSKA Moscow.^[107] In the team's next league match following his Champions League debut, he converted a penalty in a 2–2 draw with Sochaux.^[108] Three days after, Hazard scored the equalizing goal in a 1–1 draw against Bordeaux.^[109] Against Turkish outfit Trabzonspor on 27 September, he assisted on Lille's only goal, scored by Moussa Sow, in a 1–1 draw.^[110] After going over two months without scoring a league goal, on 3 December, Hazard came on as a substitute and scored the match-winning goal in a win over Ajaccio converting a penalty—described as a "Antonín Panenka-style chipped penalty".^[111][112] Two days later, Hazard was among several players nominated for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Team of the Year for the 2011 calendar year.^[113]

In Lille's final match before the winter break, Hazard tied his career-high for league goals in a season by scoring the team's third goal in a 4–4 draw with Nice.^[114] After scoring the goal, Hazard celebrated by paying tribute to Molami Bokoto, a former Lille youth academy player who had died a day prior.^[115][116] In Lille's first match following the 2011–12 winter break, Hazard scored his ninth goal of the campaign in a 6–0 away win over amateur club Chantilly in the Coupe de France.^[117] In the following month, Lille were defeated 2–0 by league rivals Marseille and eliminated from both national cup competitions.^{[118][119][120]} On 28 January, Hazard scored the team's opening goal converting a penalty in a 3–0 win over Saint-Étienne.^[121] Two weeks later, he converted a free kick goal against Bordeaux. Lille had been trailing 4–1 prior to the goal and eventually recovered to draw the match at 4–4, however, Bordeaux scored in injury time to secure a thrilling 5–4 win.^[122][123] After going scoreless in the team's next three league matches, on 3 March, Hazard scored both team goals in a 2–2 draw with Auxerre.^[124] His second goal, a penalty conversion, brought his total goal tally on the season to 13, which is a personal best.

Following Lille's 2–1 league defeat to Lyon on 10 March^[125], Hazard embarked on a streak in which he charted a statistical output in the team's next three league matches. On 18 March, he scored a goal and assisted on two others in a 4–0 win over local rivals Valenciennes.^[126] On the next match day against Evian, Hazard converted a penalty and assisted on a goal by Dimitri Payet in a 3–0 win.^[127] He repeated his previous feat against Evian the following week on April Fools' Day 2012 in a 2–1 win over Toulouse.^[128] In the first half, Hazard converted a first-half penalty and later assisted on another Payet goal to cap the victory.^[129] On 15 April, Hazard marked his 100 consecutive Ligue 1 appearance, which is the longest current run in the French top flight, by scoring a goal and assisting on another in a 4–1 win over Ajaccio.^[130][131] A week later, Hazard scored another goal, this time in a 2–0 win over Dijon.^[132] On 29 April, in a vital league fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, he converted his ninth penalty of the season to draw the match at 1–1 canceling out a goal from Javier Pastore. Hazard later contributed to Lille's game-winning goal after delivering a rabona-style cross into the box, which was laid onto the path of striker Nolan Roux who, subsequently, converted the goal to give Lille a 2–1 win.^[133][134]

On 28 April, for the third consecutive season, Hazard was nominated for the UNFP Player of the Year award.^[135] Two weeks later, he was awarded the prestigious honour ahead of the likes of Olivier Giroud and Younès Belhanda.^[136] After capturing the award, Hazard became the second player in the awards' history after former Paris Saint-Germain striker Pauleta to achieve the honour in consecutive seasons.^[137] He was also included in the Team of the Year for the third straight season. On 20 May, Hazard appeared in his final match as a Lille player, coincidentally, against Nancy, the club he made his professional debut against. In the match, Hazard recorded his first professional hat-trick in a 4–1 win.^[138]

International career[link]

Youth[link]

Hazard with the Belgium national team in 2009.

Hazard has played for various Belgian national youth teams, such as the under-17 and under-19 teams. With the under-17 team, Hazard was a regular in the team making 17 appearances and scoring four goals. He played with the team in the Toto Cup, a yearly international youth tournament held in Austria and, also, played in the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, which Belgium hosted. In the tournament, Hazard scored his only goal in the team's opening match against the Netherlands converting a penalty in a 2–2 draw.^[139] Throughout the tournament, Hazard impressed media and coaches, which led to many in Belgium comparing him to Belgian football legend Enzo Scifo.^{[140][141][142]} Belgium suffered elimination in the semi-finals of the competition, losing to Spain 7–6 on penalties. Belgium were minutes away from a victory, courtesy of an own goal from David Rochela, which Hazard was particularly instrumental in, however Barcelona striker Bojan Krkić equalized for his nation to send the match into extra time.^[143] Due to finishing in third place at the tournament, Belgium qualified for the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup, held in South Korea. Hazard was selected to participate and played in all three group stage matches, where Belgium were eliminated.

After playing at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in August and September 2007, Hazard began earning call-ups to the under-19 team the following month in October. His first appearance came in a 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification match against Romania coming on as a substitute in a 4–0 victory.^[144] He subsequently played in the next two group stage matches against Iceland and England. Belgium lost both matches.^[145][146] The negative results eliminated the country from the tournament. Due to being an underage player the previous year, Hazard was eligible for the under-19 team for the 2008–09 season. Due to his increase participation with Lille's first team, Hazard was only allowed participation in 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification matches by his club and, as a result, missed the 2008 edition of the Milk Cup, which was held during Lille's preseason. On 7 October 2008, he scored his first under-19 goal in the team's 5–0 victory over Estonia.^[147] Three days later, he scored a double in a 2–2 draw with Croatia.^[148] In the Elite Round, Hazard led the team in goals scoring three. In the opening match against the Republic of Ireland, he scored the lone goal.^[149] In the next match, Hazard was influential in the team's 5–0 thrashing of Sweden scoring a goal and assisting on two others.^[150] In the team's final match, they faced Switzerland. Belgium needed an outright victory to progress to the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, but were eliminated from qualifying after drawing 1–1 with the Swiss, despite Hazard opening the scoring for Belgium in the 21st minute.^[151]

Senior[link]

Hazard became a regular starter in the national team under former manager Dick Advocaat.

Although Hazard is still eligible to represent Belgium on youth level, on 18 November 2008, he was called up to the Belgium senior team, for the first time, by manager René Vandereycken for the team's match against Luxembourg.^[152] Prior to making his national team debut with Belgium, Hazard was courted by French Football Federation officials who sought the player to play for the France national team as he had became eligible for French citizenship. Hazard did not respond to the courtship and later stated "Because of my presence in France for seven years, I feel 99% Belgian and 1% French, but the idea of French ​​citizenship has never crossed my mind".^[153]

Hazard made his highly anticipated debut for Belgium in the match against Luxembourg coming on as a substitute in the 67th minute for Wesley Sonck.^[154] On his debut, Hazard became the eighth youngest player in Belgian football history at 17 years and 316 days to play for the national team.^[155] On 12 August 2009, after three consecutive substitute appearances with the team, he made his first start under coach Franky Vercauteren in the team's 3–1 friendly loss to the Czech Republic.^[156] Following the resignation of Vercauteren, he was replaced with manager Dick Advocaat. Under Advocaat, Hazard became a starter in the team and, on 14 November 2009, played a full match for the first time in his international career. In the match, which was played against Hungary, Hazard assisted on two goals in a 3–0 win.

Advocaat was replaced as manager in May 2010 with Georges Leekens. After featuring as a starter in Leekens first three matches in charge, Hazard began appearing as a substitute for Belgium during the 2010–11 season. Leekens justified his benching of Hazard citing the players' domestic performance, which had been underwhelming at the time, while also admitting that Hazard displayed a lack of desire in training with the national team and often neglected his defensive duties during international matches.^[78][157] After appearing as a substitute in two straight matches, Hazard returned to the starting lineup for the team's November 2010 friendly match against Russia. In the match, which Belgium won 2–0, Hazard assisted on the team's opening goal scored by Romelu Lukaku.^[158] After featuring as a starter in the team's 1–1 draw with Finland in February 2011, Hazard was relegated back to the substitute's bench for the team's important March 2011 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches as Leekens preferred Nacer Chadli and Moussa Dembélé on the wings.^[159] In the team's 29 March qualifier against Azerbaijan, he appeared as a second-half substitute and assisted on the team's final goal in a 4–1 win.^[160] Following the matches, French media began questioning why Hazard was struggling to be appreciated in his home country, while, at the same time, was being praised in France.^[161] Marc Wilmots, assistant coach of the national team, responded to the media reports stating "Some people only see Eden's qualities" and "the French press are sometimes blinded by his moments of magic".^[162]

In Belgium's next competitive match against Turkey on 3 June 2011, Hazard started the match, but was substituted out after 60 minutes. Disappointed with his performance and substitution, the midfielder retired to the locker room and was later spotted on television outside the stadium with his family eating a hamburger while the match was still ongoing.^[163] Following the episode, which has become known as Burgergate in Belgium,^[164] Hazard apologized for the defection, while Leekens attributed Hazard's response to the substitution as "a young player making a mistake".^[165][166] On 4 August, Leekens announced that Hazard would be disciplined for his actions during the Turkey match and, as a result, would miss the team's 10 August friendly match against Slovenia, as well as the team's Euro qualifying return match against Azerbaijan on 2 September and friendly against the United States four days later.^[167] On 9 August, Hazard's management group issued a press release to the Belgian media. The release detailed Hazard's actions during the Turkey match, criticized the player's three-match suspension, as well as questioned Leekens constant criticism of Hazard.^[168] On 25 August, it was announced that Leekens had lifted Hazard's suspension and the midfielder was subsequently named in the team to play the September fixtures.^[169] Leekens decided to lift the suspension after having a meeting with Hazard that was organized by the player's agent.^[170]

On 7 October 2011, nearly three years after his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan in a 4–1 victory.^[171] The victory inserted Belgium into second place position in its group in qualifying for UEFA Euro 2012 with the team needing a victory over Germany on 11 October to secure a place in the qualifying playoffs.^[172] In the match against Germany, Hazard played the entire match as Belgium failed to earn a place in the European Championship losing 3–1 in Düsseldorf.^[173]

Style of play[link]

Hazard primarily plays as either an attacking midfielder or a winger and has been credited as being "possibly the outstanding talent in Europe right now".^[174] Under Lille manager Rudi Garcia, Hazard often plays in the latter role in the team's 4–3–3 formation and regularly switches flanks due to his ability to effectively use both feet. Following the departures of fellow play-makers Yohan Cabaye and Gervinho in 2011, during the 2011–12 season, Garcia began playing Hazard as a central attacking midfielder, while also allowing the player to roam back onto the wing if necessary. Two of Hazard's most common exemplary traits is his pace and technical ability, which has been described as both "astonishing" and "mesmerizing", respectively.^[77] Club captain Rio Mavuba described Hazard as "a great player, with an immense talent. He’s actually not that big, but he’s so fast. He’s also very difficult to dispossess and his finishing is top notch".^[77] Hazard's pace coupled with his finishing and inability to be dispossessed easily led to his former coach Claude Puel dubbing him "little Messi", in reference to the Barcelona star.^[5] Puel's sentiments were later echoed by former Marseille manager and media personality Rolland Courbis who commented "At times it looks to me like Lionel Messi on the right-hand side".^[73] Hazard's "flair and tricky" style of play has been described as being similar to Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo; a comparison later repeated by former French international Christophe Dugarry.^[175][176] His vision, described as being the trait he has improved on the most, has allowed him to develop into an effective passer, which compensates for his relatively low goal-scoring output.^[177]

In Belgium, Hazard's talent and similar ascension up the country's football hierarchy has led to comparisons to former Belgian international Enzo Scifo.^[17][178] Both players share the same birthplace and Scifo himself spent time with Hazard while he was in Tubize admitting "Eden, you know, I've coached in Tubize. During the week, I took care of the young people at least once, and he, in those days, I immediately saw he had a secure future".^[178] However, despite the positive opinions, Hazard has endured criticism from some. His former national team coach and mentor Dick Advocaat agreed with the majority in that Hazard possessed everything required to be a world-class player; however Advocaat admitted that the attacker lacked charisma stating "I told him to have more charisma. He is a talent, but he can not be seen like that forever".^[179] In 2010, current national team manager Georges Leekens questioned Hazard's work-rate.^[180] Lille youth academy director Jean-Michel Vandamme countered both managers criticism by arguing that Hazard simply possesses an intellectual honesty that is out of the ordinary and unexpected of today's footballer declaring "He is a real competitor, not a cheat, nor a moaner, because you don’t hear him complaining when he gets fouled".^[73] Hazard's calm and cool demeanor on the field has been cited as one of his best attributes.^[177] So far in his career as a professional, in which he has accumulated over 180 appearances, Hazard has collected only 13 yellow cards.

Career statistics[link]

Club[link]

(Correct as of 20 May 2012)^[181]

International[link]

(Correct as of 25 May 2012)^[182]

International goals[link]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	7 October 2011	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Kazakhstan	2–0	4–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
2	25 May 2012	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Montenegro	2–1	2–2	Friendly
Correct as of 25 May 2012

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Lille

• Ligue 1 (1): 2010–11
• Coupe de France (1): 2010–11

Individual[link]

• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year (2): 2010–11, 2011–12
• UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year (2): 2008–09, 2009–10
• UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year (3): 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
• UNFP Player of the Month (3): March 2010,^[183] March 2011^[184], March 2012
• Bravo Award (1): 2011^[14]

Notes[link]

1. ^ Includes Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue matches
2. ^ Includes FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Trophée des champions matches

References[link]