Football news: Spain's coach being fired and Belgium captain Eden Hazard retiring from international play
Captain of the Belgian football team Eden Hazard has announced his retirement from international football following the disastrous group stage campaign of the second-ranked side at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Eden Hazard has announced his retirement from international football.Eden Hazard has been the face of the Belgian national team since making his debut in 2008. He has scored 33 international goals from 33 matches.
Belgium began their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign on a positive note by securing a 1-0 victory over Canada. However, the world's no. two side were handed a shock 2-0 defeat by Morocco. Belgium were held to a goalless draw by Croatia in their final group-stage clash,
The 31-year-old winger was excellent at the previous FIFA World Cup in Russia and helped Belgium finish in the third spot. However, Hazard has decided to retire from international football following the disastrous run in Qatar.
Hazard said: "A page turns today. Thank you for your unparalleled support. Thank you for all this happiness shared since 2008. I have decided to put an end to my international career. The succession is ready. I will miss you."
The Belgian sensation became a standout player in the Premier League after moving from Lille to Chelsea. He scored 85 goals for Chelsea from 255 appearances and played a key role in two Europa Cup titles, two Premier League titles, one EFL Cup, and one FA Cup trophy.
He moved to Real Madrid in 2019, but his performance at the Spanish side could have been better, with just four goals from 29 matches.
Spanish manager Luis Enrique sacked after World Cup debacle
The Spanish Football Federation have sacked Spanish coach Luis Enrique following a disappointing run at the Qatar World Cup.
Spain began their campaign with a fantastic 7-0 victory over Costa Rica in their opening match. However, they lost the knockout clash 3-0 to Morocco on penalties, following a 0-0 draw in regulation time.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Luis Enrique: "The penalty takers? I chose the first three penalty takers." <a href="https://t.co/jdIQMqQECK">pic.twitter.com/jdIQMqQECK</a></p>— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarcaUniversal/status/1600194007799414784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Enrique has already been replaced by U21 head coach Luis de la Fuente, who will officially take charge of the Spanish national squad on December 12.
In an official statement, the Spanish Football Federation (REEF) said: "The RFEF would like to thank Luis Enrique and his entire coaching staff at the helm of the absolute national team in recent years. The sports management of the RFEF has transferred to the president a report in which it is determined that a new project should start for the Spanish Soccer Team."