Hazard vows to win Champions League with Chelsea
| CHELSEA | QARABAG |
Chelsea footballer Eden Hazard is determined to win the Champions League title as his club begin their European campaign with a Group C match against Azerbaijani side Qarabag tomorrow morning (Singapore time).
Hazard joined Chelsea shortly after they won their first Champions League title in 2012, but the London side have not won the competition since.
The Blues came close in the 2013-14 season, but lost to Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals.
Chelsea failed to qualify for the Champions League in the last campaign and, as they prepare to return to Europe's elite competition this season, the Belgium international is hopeful that his team can lift the trophy again.
"Yeah, this year (to win it) is important... I have only got to the semi-finals when we lost to Atletico Madrid. So it's in my head to win this trophy," the 26-year-old told British media.
"I have won the Premier League and the title in France.
"Now all the big players want to win the Champions League."
Hazard played the final 12 minutes of the 2-1 league win over Leicester City on Saturday - his first game for Chelsea this season after recovering from an ankle injury sustained in June.
"It was a good test (against Leicester). I'm just happy to be back," Hazard added.
Said Conte: "We all know very well the importance of (Hazard) for us.
"For sure, he needs time to be 100 per cent but, for us, his recovery is very important."
As a player, Conte reached four Champions League finals, winning once. He now wants to make his mark with Chelsea, but knows it will take time.
"In the Champions League, we are starting a path and it will be very important to start building something important," said the Italian.
"To win a competition, you need to work very hard, to improve over years and to grow step by step and to arrive to be like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus are the same now.
"You don't create a big strong team easily." - WIRE SERVICES
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