Hazard: Chelsea can make Champions League impact

Eden Hazard believes Chelsea can make a big impression in next season’s Champions League if they can bring in a couple of key additions.

Chelsea romped to the Premier League title in Antonio Conte’s first season at the helm, making up for a dismal campaign in 2015-16 that saw them finish 10th.

The Blues will have a more congested fixture list next term having secure a return to European football’s top table, but Hazard is confident they can cope with the demands if the squad is bolstered. 

“The Champions League is a very difficult competition with many good teams who are capable of reaching the semi-finals and the final,” Hazard told Chelsea’s official website.

“You never know, but if we continue with the way we’ve been playing this season we can go far.

“Maybe with a couple of new players to take the level even higher we can do well, but it’s not just about quality, you also need a bit of luck.”

Hazard was one of Chelsea’s primary underperformers in 2015-16, but he was back to his best under Conte, praising the Italian’s tactics for aiding his resurgence.

He said: “I started to play a bit more centrally, like a number 10. [Marcos] Alonso was close to me so he was able to help when we didn’t have the ball, just like [N’Golo] Kante, [Nemanja] Matic and [Cesc] Fabregas.

“The new system helped us because we have the players who suit the formation.

“The manager said to me I have to try to find Diego Costa. When I play I always try to pass to him, or look for him to make a run which opens up the space for me to come inside.

“I always try to be close to him because I know it makes it difficult for defenders when there is two of you, or even three when Pedro or Willian are there as well.

“When we remain static it makes it easier for them to mark us, so I tried to stay close to him and play one-touch football, which worked well.”

Thank you everyone for voting me Player of the Year and Goal of the Season! A tough season, a sad end, but we gave our best! #cfc #family pic.twitter.com/QllLgtF1s6

— Eden hazard (@hazardeden10) May 30, 2017

A haul of 16 goals represented Hazard’s best return in a Premier League season, but he insisted that collective objectives are his main focus.

“To be honest, it’s not my objective to score a specific amount of goals, I just want to win games,” he continued.

“For me it’s better to win every game in the season and not score, that’s not a problem. I know if I score I can help the team win games and in the new system I’ve been closer to Diego, and closer to the goal, so it’s been easier for me to penetrate, make assists and score goals.”