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Football London
Football London
Sport
Lewis Pangratiou

Eden Hazard boos disputed in Belgium World Cup confusion as Roberto Martinez confirms exit

It appeared as though Belgium captain Eden Hazard felt the full wrath of his fans' fury on Thursday after the 'golden generation' were knocked out of the World Cup at the group stage.

WIth Morocco beating Canada, the Red Devils needed three points against Croatia to keep themselves in the tournament. However, they failed to find a breakthrough, despite Romelu Lukaku having several opportunities to score in the final few minutes.

Former Chelsea star Hazard has endured a difficult few years following his move to La Liga giants Real Madrid. Still, even amidst his poor form and evident injury worries, Roberto Martinez has continued to call upon his trusted captain, even in the most difficult moments.

READ MORE: Man City handed shock Premier League title race boost over Arsenal by Kevin De Bruyne

Despite not starting the game against Croatia, Hazard was brought on from the bench in the closing moments as the Red Devils searched for a winner. His arrival, though, was met with boos from a minority in the crowd - at least that's how it seemed at first, anyways.

As per the Mirror, some neutrals on Twitter couldn't believe what they were hearing. "Cant believe Belgium favs booed Hazard, he was their ‘golden era’," wrote one supporter. "Hazard getting booed by Belgium fans, so naturally I want him to score the winner," was the verdict from another.

However, there was a slight bit of confusion. Others believed that, rather than Hazard himself, Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was the one being booed, amid allegations of time-wasting from the shot stopper.

Livakovic ultimately did his job, however, as Croatia edged through to the last 16. Their opponents are yet to be determined but they will play on Monday, December 5.

Martinez's Belgium contract runs out at the end of the month. Speaking after the game, he effectively ended his tenure as manager.

"That was my last game. It was emotional as you can imagine," Martinez said "The decision was taken just before the World Cup. I always work towards the long-term projects and they need to be set in advance.

"Since 2018 I had many opportunities to leave to take jobs at club level. I always wanted to be loyal and finish the job. I don't resign - it is the end of my contract. That was always the plan."

He having managed Belgium's best ever team, leading them to third-place in the World Cup in 2018.

Still, there will also be a sense of disappointment. Ranked no.1 in the world for so long, Martinez would've liked to have some silverware to truly mark his tenure as a success.

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