During Tuesday night’s Copa del Rey match between Cacereno and Real Madrid, Cacereno player Carmelo Merenciano criticized Real Madrid star Eden Hazard for his lackluster performance.
Real Madrid almost defeated the fourth-tier team to secure their place in the Copa del Rey round of 16.
The La Liga champions eliminated Cacereno from the Copa del Rey with a goal in the second half from forward Rodrygo.
But Hazard’s performance against the weak Spanish opposition was one of the biggest talking points from the match on Tuesday.
Despite playing against Cacereno for 67 minutes, the former Chelsea star was ineffective.
Hazard was unable to attempt any dribbles and finished the game without having taken a shot.
Merenciano expressed his criticism of Hazard to Diario AS, claiming that the 31-year-old was uninterested in the game.
He claimed that throughout the confrontation at Prncipe Felipe, the Belgian went completely unobserved.
Hazard?” he asked. He appeared to be uninterested in the game. He didn’t sprint because he didn’t want to catch the ball. He got no attention at all.
Carlo Ancelotti, manager of Real Madrid, has since supported Hazard, saying it was “impossible” for him to play on the field.