Olivier Giroud has said he doesn’t even try to dispossess Eden Hazard in Chelsea training anymore after learning a lesson on his first day at the club.
The Frenchman, who joined Chelsea from Arsenal in January, has made 30 appearances for the Blues across all competitions, scoring six goals.
Having played plenty of London derbies for the Gunners against Hazard, Giroud will be relieved to now be on the same team as the Belgian rather than facing him.
And Giroud admits Hazard is a “magician” in training.
“When I discover Eden Hazard in training for my first session at Chelsea. I told myself: ‘F*ck, it’s hard to get the ball off him’,” Giroud told Le Figaro (as translated by Goal).
“Sometimes, there’s two or three players around him and he still manages to get out in tight spaces.
“He’s a magician, he’s impressive. Now, I’ve started to know him and I don’t find myself near him. It’s better for him and for me.”
Contrasting fortunes for Giroud and Hazard
Giroud had gone 794 minutes of football without a goal for Chelsea before his strike against BATE Borisov in the Europa League last week.
Meanwhile, Hazard has bagged eight goals in 13 appearances for the Blues already this term.
Giroud’s club struggles are reflected in his form for France. The 32-year-old led the line for Les Bleus as Didier Deschamps’ men lifted the World Cup, but didn’t score a single goal at the tournament.
Hazard has found the net six times for Belgium in 2018, while Giroud has only scored three goals for France despite playing more games – 15 to Hazard’s 13.
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