Real Madrid will keep Eden Hazard for at least one more year, following their Champions League exit on Wednesday night, Marca reports.
Los Blancos manager, Zinedine Zidane, gambled by starting Hazard against his former team.
But the gamble backfired, as the Belgian was easily contained by Chelsea’s defense before he was eventually taken off in the dying moments of the game.
Hazard’s behaviour after the defeat also attracted fury from fans, as the 30-year-old was seen laughing and joking with some of his ex-teammates.
Despite showing a few signs of being able to recapture his best form, Real will persist with him next season and resist the temptation to cut their losses.
The club’s board is said to back Zidane’s decision to coax the player out of his slump by continuing to pick him ahead of Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez.
Speaking after the game last night, Zidane said of Hazard: “He needs a run of games. Eden has to play, he has to recover his confidence and all that, but by playing games. It’s a gradual process. It’s his second game in a row and we have to get him back playing.”