{"id":1092937,"date":"2019-06-10T09:06:51","date_gmt":"2019-06-10T08:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1092937"},"modified":"2019-06-10T09:06:51","modified_gmt":"2019-06-10T08:06:51","slug":"eden-hazard-competing-belgium-2020-olympics","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/eden-hazard-competing-belgium-2020-olympics\/","title":{"rendered":"Eden Hazard open to competing for Belgium at 2020 Olympics"},"content":{"rendered":"

Belgium Under-21 manager Johan Walem has revealed Eden Hazard has asked him about the possibility of competing in the Olympics next summer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 28-year-old recently completed a switch from Chelsea to La Liga giants Real Madrid<\/a>, becoming Los Blancos’ third summer signing.<\/p>\n

Will Hazard compete in the Olympics? Five key things to know…<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Should\u00a0Belgium reach the Round of 16 at this summer’s Under-21 European Championship in Italy, then they will qualify for the Olympic games next summer.<\/li>\n
  2. Olympic rules\u00a0stipulate all teams competing must be comprised of\u00a0players aged 23 or under, apart from\u00a0three senior players.<\/li>\n
  3. As such, Hazard would be able to participate as one of the nation’s trio of senior players.<\/li>\n
  4. The\u00a0Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo next summer.<\/li>\n
  5. Hazard has outlined his desire to compete in the quadrennial competition, according to Belgium Under-21 manager Walem.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7278637-klopp-must-solve-wenger-s-dilemma-to-take-liverpool-forward<\/p>\n

    But the diminutive forward could have an even busier summer in 2020 should Belgium’s football team make it to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

    The Young Devils would have to reach the Round of 16 at this summer’s Under-21 European Championship to\u00a0qualify, but should that come to fruition, then Hazard could be playing a big part in\u00a0quadrennial tournament next summer.<\/p>\n

    “Hazard has already asked me if he could come to Tokyo if we qualify,” Walem said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    “If we qualify, I will stick with the group that played at the [U21 European Championship]. But I already know that picking a squad for an Olympics will be difficult.<\/p>\n

    “Right now, I have more than 30 players and reducing this to 23 for the Euros was a hellish task, and reducing it to 18 would be impossible.<\/p>\n

    “It would be even worse if I had to pick players older than 23.”<\/p>\n