Belgian international Eden Hazard is so talented he often ends up ‘bored’ in Chelsea training, according to manager Maurizio Sarri.
Hazard is hunting a fairy tale Chelsea farewell when the Blues face Arsenal in Wednesday’s Europa League final in Baku.
The Belgium talisman fired home the winning penalty in the semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt with his last act at Stamford Bridge.
And now the 28-year-old wants to sign off in style by swiping European silverware before completing his expected £100-million summer transfer to Real Madrid.
‘It’s a pleasure during the match; sometimes during the week it’s a problem but during the match it’s a pleasure of course,’ said Sarri, when asked to detail the experience of coaching Hazard.
‘It’s a problem during the week because he’s a talent and during training sometimes he’s bored, because for him everything is really very easy. Eden is one of the most important players in Europe, the world.
‘He can improve. He has to try to become the best in Europe. He can become the best player in Europe – and the world – I think.’
Arsenal have released plans for an open-top bus parade through Islington on Thursday night should they lift the Europa League title.
Chelsea’s players insisted they were unfazed by a move they considered little more than prudent planning.
Defender David Luiz was happy for Arsenal to plan a victory parade – as long as Chelsea stopped them actually carrying it out.
‘I think it’s quite a normal thing, teams prepare for the final,’ said Luiz. ‘They have to be positive on their side, too.
‘We are positive in ours. We want to touch the trophy – before the party though. So I want to win the trophy first.’
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta admitted the Blues will quite happily rain on Arsenal’s proposed parade by stealing the silverware for themselves.
‘They have to plan for this: hopefully, we can ruin it,’ said Azpilicueta. ‘Our job is to play the game and win the trophy.
‘We didn’t plan a parade, but that doesn’t mean we’re not hungry and determined to win the trophy.
‘We’ll go with everything, the last game of a long season. When you have a trophy to play for, you get energy from everywhere. Hopefully, we can get our hands on it.’