Late Hazard incurs champagne penalty

BRUSSELS - Agence France-Presse

Eden Hazard (C) is tipped to join Chelsea for a fee of about 40 million euros. AFP photo

Eden Hazard has been fined for missing the team bus taking Belgium’s footballers to training and will have to repay his colleagues in champagne, Belgian media reported.

The 21-year-old Lille playmaker, who announced on May 28 that he would be joining Champions League winners Chelsea, missed the departure after arriving late in the hotel lobby, the Belga news agency said yesterday. He eventually arrived on time at the training ground where the Red Devils are preparing for a Euro 2012 warm-up match against England at Wembley on Saturday, but was told by coach Marc Wilmots that he would have to pay them back in bubbly.

Hazard has been under pressure to reveal where he is going this summer, after his performances for the Ligue 1 side attracted the interest of a number of English Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.

According to reports, Chelsea paid between 36 million to 40 million euros to secure his services and he will be paid some 550,000 euros a month.

Belgium failed to qualify for the 2012 European championships.