Eden Hazard has issued an apology to Real Madrid fans for laughing with a former Chelsea teammate after his side’s Champions League exit.
The Real Madrid winger was seen giggling with Kurt Zouma after failing to leave his mark in a 2-0 semi-final defeat at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
On his Instagram Story, Hazard wrote: “I am sorry.
“I have read lots of opinions about me today and it was not my intention to offend the Real Madrid fans.
“It has always been my dream to play for Real Madrid and I came here to win.
“The season is not over and together we must now battle for LaLiga! Hala Madrid!”
Hazard has been heavily criticised back in Spain, with El Chiringuito TV presenter calling the 30-year-old’s behaviour ‘unacceptable’.
talkSPORT’s Darren Gough has sympathised with Hazard by claiming he was just laughing with his ‘best mate’, while Durham took a dim view of it.
Goughie told Thursday’s Drivetime: “The game is finished. It’s 10 minutes after it, Hazard’s best mate when he was at Chelsea was Zouma.
“That’s the one he was laughing with. It’s his best mate! What do you think Mason Mount and Declan Rice do after a game when they play against each other?
“There is always a winner or a loser. It happens! They’ve lost, he can’t take that back. What do you want him to do, cry because he’s on TV?”
Durham argued: “It’s a Champions League semi-final, that’s why [it matters]. Rice and Mount aren’t going to meet in a Champions League semi-final.
“I’ll tell you what the problem to this is. There was a massive reaction to this in Madrid. They’re upset because they’ve lost. That’s the natural reaction.
“When you’ve lost such a huge game and you’ve played so badly, the normal reaction is not to have a laugh with your mate.
“You might want to do that at some point, but surely your natural, normal reaction is to be devastated.”
Goughie then responded: “So if someone makes you laugh, you stop yourself from laughing purely because you’ve lost?
“‘I better not laugh because I’m on TV and all the Real Madrid pundits are going to nail me because I haven’t had a great game.’”
Durham has questioned whether failing to reach a Champions League final even bothered Hazard.
He explained: “The injuries have been a massive problem for him, but then you look at the fitness regime he might have – has that contributed to it?
“The point is, whether you’re on TV or not is irrelevant, your natural reaction when you lose is you should not be laughing.
“What’s going to make you laugh if you’ve just gone out of a Champions League semi-final? He’s never won the Champions League! Is he not bothered?”
Goughie replied: “Of course he’s bothered. To say he isn’t bothered is rubbish. His best mate has made him laugh and he’s laughed back at him.
“That’s it. He’s still distraught. I’m defending him because it’s a step too far. He had a poor game, there’s no doubt about it.
“He’s met his best mate after the game, who didn’t get on, and that’s what they were probably laughing at. I don’t know. I’m not here to slaughter Eden Hazard on that.”
Durham ended the debate by jovially saying: “That sounds hilarious, that, ‘I didn’t get on – ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!’ Hilarious.”