It has been reported that the majority of the Belgium squad wanted head coach Roberto Martinez sacked before the 2022 FIFA World Cup even kicked off after a certain Eden Hazard decision he made.
Manager Steps Down After Shock World Cup Exit
According to The Athletic, in-fighting and differences in the Belgium dressing room contributed to a World Cup campaign to forget for the Red Devils in Qatar.
A bust-up between senior players in the squad followed their shock 2-0 defeat to Morocco, before they failed to beat Croatia to book their place among the last 16 in the Middle East.
It has also been claimed that most of the players included in the camp were against Martinez's decision to stick with the out-of-form Hazard ahead of the competition, a call that did not seem to pay off.
Hazard, 31, captained and started Belgium's first two matches at the showpiece, but was left on the bench in their final Group F game, after being one of his country's standout performers in Russia four years ago.
Since then, the ex-Chelsea winger has sustained a number of injuries and experienced fitness issues that have left him seemingly incapable of inspiring those around him to success.
In 72 appearances for Real Madrid since his club-record arrival in 2019, Hazard has managed to find the back of the net on just seven occasions.
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As a result of his form over the past three years, several players believed his apparent untouchable status in the dressing room was unwarranted, and blamed Martinez for ultimately deciding to give that power to the player.
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