Eden Hazard took his first steps in football on the pitch in the town of Braine-le-Comte which he accessed by sliding under a fence in his back garden Eden Hazard owes his status in large part to the hundreds of hours spent kicking a ball on the field next to his own garden in the town of Braine-le-Comte.(Reuters Photo) Only a few bushes separate the modest abode where Eden and his three younger brothers grew up from the home ground of Stade Brainois 40 kilometres south of Brussels in the French-speaking Wallonia region of Belgium As soon as he was old enough to start playing the game Hazard would pass under the fence to go for a kickabout He was too small to climb over the wooden fence so he found a gap to slide under and then onto the football pitch,” his father Thierry told AFP Eden played for a club which has seen three generations of the Hazard family pass through it -- from the grandfather Francis a founding member of Stade Brainois in 1969 who played in the Belgian second division and is now the team’s coach His three brothers also turned out for the team who is now with German giants Borussia Mönchengladbach he owes his status in large part to the hundreds of hours spent kicking a ball on the field next to his own garden “There were no swings in the Hazard’s garden Eden had his but there were also the balls that the Braine players clumsily booted over the fence,” said club director Pascal Delmoitiez He witnessed the blooming of Eden and “understood rapidly that the lad had something more than the others” “In the mid-1990s (when Eden was six or seven) when the grass of the pitch had just been resown I remember having to tell off a boy who was playing on it when he wasn’t supposed to,” said Delmoitiez with his bare feet from the edge of the box was systematically putting the ball into the top corner of the net I was astounded by this kid who was knee high to a grasshopper.” The club’s president Alain Pauly recalls that everyone in Braine was quickly convinced that little Eden would become great who was coaching the five to six-year-olds came looking for me after training and said to me: ‘Dad The player’s talent was clear for all to see even up against prestigious teams from abroad “You needed to be blind to not realise his qualities,” added Thierry Hazard “But we told him not to dream too much about becoming a professional You never know what can happen to you in life I did’t want him to fall from a great height.” whose directors to this day regret the fact the club never received any compensation for helping develop the current Chelsea star Clubs are only entitled to compensation for players after the age of 10 the age Eden had when he left Braine-le-Comte for second-tier club Tubize The rest is history -- Hazard joined the academy of Lille at the age of 14 and made his debut in Ligue 1 at 16 Now starring in the Premier League and for his country who are among the favourites to win Euro 2016 Eden has nevertheless made a promise with his three brothers he has promised that the Hazard boys will all run out together one day for their hometown team A crowdfunding action has been started for a woman whose car was set on fire and destroyed by vandals on the Lemmensplein in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht on New Year’s Eve On Thursday Sidonie Nkouette told the Brussels regional news platform Bruzz of her anguish at seeing her car destroyed She needs her car to commute from her home in Braine-le-Comte (Hainaut province) to her work in Brussels As the car was only insured third-party Sidonie stands to get nothing back from the insurance After Sidonie Nkouette’s story was broadcast by Bruzz on Thursday a crowdfunding action was launched By 3:30pm on Friday almost 5,800 euro had been raised On New Year’s Eve thugs left a trail of destruction in Kuregem an area of Anderlecht adject to Brussels South Railway Station Among the vehicles that were set on fire on the Lemmensplein was Sidonie Nkouette’s car On Thursday Sidonie Nkouette told Bruzz that “This is a scandal and an injustice I won’t get anything from the insurance as I don’t have fully comprehensive insurance cover I am going to have to get a loan to pay for a new car” There is a great deal of sympathy for Sidonie’s plight Tamara De Koninck from Asse (Flemish Brabant) decided to set up a crowd funding initiative to help her Tamara told Bruzz that “The whole of Belgium knows that it is always the same old story in Brussels on New Year’s Eve I think that what has happened to that woman is really bad and I want to do something to help her” Hassan Al Hilou of the not-for-profit group Capital that works with young people also wants to help Sidonie Nkouette He has invited her to Capital’s offices for a meeting on Friday afternoon "The Brussels young people at Capital want to show that they wish to do something to help Sidonie" Hassan Al Hilou is coordinating the crowdfunding action together with Tamara De Koninck 'American Idol' Spoilers 2025: Top 8 Contestants Revealed, 2 Sent Home on May 4 Episode Adam Lambert & Boyfriend Oliver Gliese Attend a Charli XCX Concert Together in NYC! Viral TikTok Couple Darshen & Dr Samuel React to Rumors of Secret Wife & Kids Will Smith is heading out on the road The 56-year-old “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” superstar announced that he will embark on the Based on a True Story Summer Tour later this year Will will visit major cities throughout Morocco and he is set to perform at multiple International festivals Dreambeach in Spain & BIG ART Festival in Italy The headlining dates begin on July 13 in Hamburg Will Smith’s first full-length album in 20 years, Based on a True Story, is set for release on March 28. These live shows will see him performing songs from the new album along with his classic hits including “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” “Miami,” “Summertime” and more. Disclosure: Some products on this site use affiliate links and we may earn commission for any purchase made through the links. ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishGENERAL, SOCIETYCeremony commemorates victims of one of Belgium's worst rail disasters15 February 2025 A ceremony was held on Saturday in memory of the victims of one of the worst rail disasters in Belgian history. Nineteen people were killed on 15 February 2010 in the crash at Buizingen, 12km southwest of Brussels On 15 February 2010 at 8.28, a local (L) train from Leuven to Braine-le-Comte collided with an InterCity (IC) train from Quiévrain to Liège-Guillemins. Both rail operator SNCB and network manager Infrabel were found to be partly responsible and were convicted and fined following a trial nearly 10 years later. The tragedy occurred on line 96, one of the main access routes to Brussels-Midi station, at the height of the morning rush hour. The IC train was diverted by a switch to a track where the L train was travelling in the opposite direction. The driver of the L train was reported to have ignored a red light, which is normally activated to signal danger on the track, something he has always denied. Upon colliding, the first two carriages of the L train were propelled over the top of the first carriage of the IC train. A third train on the same line towards Brussels-Midi saw the accident in time to apply the emergency brake and call for help. Fifteen men, three women and an unborn baby died and more than 160 people were injured. The investigation took several years, before a trial was held in 2019. The scene of the disaster, 15 February 2010 © PHOTO ANP ED OUDENAARDENThe court ultimately recognised the SNCB, in charge of rolling stock, and Infrabel, manager of the railway network, as primarily responsible. The driver accepted partial responsibility, but no penalty was imposed on him. "It was very hard," said Anita Mahy, who was on one of the trains involved in the crash and now chairs an association advocating for greater safety on the railways. "We realise that the railways are less safe than we might think," she said. "We obtained a good result in court, which is positive. This commemoration is also positive: the victims should not have died in vain." Passenger trains are also equipped with the TBL1+ emergency braking system, which had already been announced before the disaster, but whose implementation was accelerated after the tragedy. Training has been ordered for SNCB and Infrabel personnel so that employees feel able to discuss mistakes with their superiors, and drivers are given an additional day of training on signal violations. People wait for the verdict in the court case that followed the crash in 2019 © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHATSince the introduction of these measures the number of signal violations has decreased year on year The number of times signals were violated at potential danger – such as when a train is travelling on another track – fell from 51 to 14 over the same period Friends and relatives of the 19 people who died gather every year in the town square of Buizingen in front of the memorial bearing their names "The accident had a huge impact on the families and friends of the victims as well as on everyone else involved," said Patricia Vanden Eynde "It has been a long and emotional struggle during which we have often felt misunderstood and disrespected." #FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO ERIC VIDAL / BELGA VIDEO INE GILLIS Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu Eden Hazard is one of the French academy system's finest exports in the past decade but he could be the man to end Didier Deschamps's bid for World Cup glory Born to two footballing parents in the Belgian municipality of Braine-le-Comte Hazard's reputation spread across the border and saw him snapped up by Lille at the age of just 14 Two years later Hazard made his professional debut in Ligue 1 and went on to become French football's brightest talent twice winning the league's player of the year prize and leading Lille to a Ligue 1 and Cup double in 2010-11 it was Chelsea who won the race in 2012 with a £32 million ($43 million) capture that now seems like a bargain Hazard has won two more league titles and won plenty of admirers But some doubt whether he has the desire to back up his immense talent and challenge Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the world's best player Hazard looks like a man on a mission to ensure Belgium's so-called golden generation live up to their billing by bringing home the World Cup for the first time in the country's history Handed the armband by Roberto Martinez despite Vincent Kompany's return from injury the Spaniard has drawn out Hazard's leadership qualities "I think Eden is in a great moment of his career," Martinez said before the tournament in terms of leadership -- he never finds it difficult to show for the ball." Hazard's willingness and ability to carry the ball under pressure was in evidence as Belgium claimed their greatest-ever World Cup scalp by beating Brazil in the quarter-finals Hazard repeatedly carried the ball forward in the dying minutes drawing fouls to offer the Belgian backline some respite His leadership was also in evidence with a man-of-the-match performance including a wonderful assist for Marouane Fellaini's equaliser as the Red Devils came from 2-0 down to beat Japan 3-2 in the last 16 In outshining Brazil's Neymar in the last eight Hazard may have put himself in the shop window he has not hidden his ambition to finally make an impact on the Champions League which Chelsea missed out on after a disappointing fifth-placed finish in the Premier League last season Long linked with a transfer to Real Madrid a move to Spain looks more realistic this summer than at any time of his Chelsea career with Madrid president Florentino Perez often influenced by outstanding World Cup performances and Ronaldo looking set to exit the Santiago Bernabeu Hazard will be denied a self-confessed dream of working under another French influence on his formation as a player Hazard used to study videos of the man who led France to the World Cup in 1998 -- and stepped down as Real boss in May he's just two games away from matching Zidane's feat he must prevent France's own talented crop of Paul Pogba Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann from following in Zidane's footsteps in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday what you're looking for isn't here.. " + cookie_bar_trans[0] + "" + cookie_bar_trans[1] + ' " + cookie_bar_trans[3] + " Article published on the 2010-02-15 Latest update 2010-02-15 16:00 TU An aerial view of the fatal train crash near Brussels on 15 February Print the article Send the article Comments on article The trains collided head-on at about 8.30am at Halle about 15 kilometres south-west of the Belgian capital Halle’s mayor Dirk Pieters told a Flemish television station that “at least 20” people had died in the accident The most seriously injured are being treated at the scene before being taken to hospital," he said The Belgian secretary of state for mobility said many people were badly injured and some would need amputations The national railway company SNCB was unable to confirm the number of dead but a spokesperson for track operator Infrabel told the AFP news agency that police would put the figure at “at least a dozen” Infrabel said one of the trains was travelling from Quievrain to Liege and the other was going from Leuven to Braine-le-Comte "A crowded commuter train on the 'down' line apparently failed to observe a closed signal and crossed to the 'up' line where it immediately collided with another train," RFI's Quentin Dickinson reports from Brussels "The first two coaches of the 'down' train derailed as debris flew across the track and wounded several passengers in yet a third train," he says The incident has caused major traffic disruption and the Thalys and Eurostar high-speed train services in and out of Brussels are also seriously disrupted This is the third high-profile rail crash in Belgium in the past decade eight people were killed and 12 were injured following a head-on collision between two passenger trains east of Brussels It is thought that language difficulties between Flemish- and French-speaking  colleagues contributed to that crash more than 40 people were injured when a passenger train travelling in the wrong direction struck a freight train in the centre of the country Eden Hazard is one of the French academy system's finest exports in the past decade but he could be the man to end Didier Deschamps's bid for World Cup glory Hazard's reputation spread across the border and saw him snapped up by Lille at the age of just 14 Two years later Hazard made his professional debut in Ligue 1 and went on to become French football's brightest talent twice winning the league's player of the year prize and leading Lille to a Ligue 1 and Cup double in 2010-11 But some doubt whether he has the desire to back up his immense talent and challenge Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the world's best player Hazard looks like a man on a mission to ensure Belgium's so-called golden generation live up to their billing by bringing home the World Cup for the first time in the country's history Handed the armband by Roberto Martinez despite Vincent Kompany's return from injury the Spaniard has drawn out Hazard's leadership qualities "I think Eden is in a great moment of his career," Martinez said before the tournament in terms of leadership -- he never finds it difficult to show for the ball." France were 2-1 ahead against Croatia at halftime in the World Cup final after a pulsating opening 45 minutes at the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday France took the lead when Croatia forward Mario Mandzukic who scored the extra-time winner over England in the semi-final inadvertently headed home an Antoine Griezmann free-kick in the 18th minute for the first own goal in a World Cup final levelled with a powerful shot 10 minutes later after France had failed to clear a Luka Modric free-kick But Perisic was then responsible for conceding a penalty for handball that was give following a VAR decision and Griezmann coolly converted the spot-kick in the 38th to put the French back in front Starting line-ups for the World Cup third place playoff between Belgium and England in Saint Petersburg on Saturday (1400 GMT kick-off): Belgian attacking midfielder Eden Hazard announced his retirement on Tuesday after failing to find another club following his release by Real Madrid The 32-year-old endured an injury-plagued spell at Real Madrid after his 89-million-pound (103 million euros playing just 76 matches in all competitions across four seasons "You must listen to yourself and say stop at the right time," Hazard wrote on Instagram "After 16 years and more than 700 matches played I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer." winning both the Premier League title and Europa League twice as well as the FA and League Cup from 2012-2019 He was also integral to Belgium's impressive run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals beating Brazil in the quarter-finals but bowing out to eventual champions France in the semi-final he was unable to rouse himself for last year's World Cup finals when along with fellow stars Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku Hazard and a below-par Belgium bowed out in the group stage Nevertheless Hazard -- who also won a Ligue 1 crown with Lille and two La Liga titles with Real and picked up a Champions League winners' medal as an unused substitute in 2022 -- was in grateful mood as he signed off I have played and had fun on many pitches around the world," he said "During my career I was lucky to meet great managers coaches and teammates -- thank you to everyone for these great times He thanked his clubs and the Belgian federation as well as friends family and advisors "who have been close to me in good times and bad" who have followed me for all these years and for your encouragement everywhere I have played," he added when they beat England 2-0 with an early Thomas Meunier goal and a breakaway finished by Eden Hazard in Saturday's playoff between the losing semi-finalists Meunier finished off a devastating move when he turned in Nacer Chadli's low cross at the far post in the fourth minute after Romelu Lukaku's pass sliced open the English defence who beat England 1-0 in a group match in the tournament were more dangerous throughout a lively first half But England improved after the break and nearly equalised when Eric Dier got clear and chipped over Thibaut Courtois only for Toby Alderweireld to make a sliding clearance off the line Belgium continued to threaten on the break and finished off the game when Kevin de Bruyne set Hazard clear and he swept his shot past Jordan Pickford Premier League-leading Chelsea's success on the pitch has been recognised by the Professional Footballer's Association (PFA) with Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante making the shortlist for the organisation's Players' Player of the Year award The six-player list named on Thursday also includes Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane Manchester United's leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic Everton striker Romelu Lukaku and Arsenal talisman Alexis Sanchez Chelsea's title charge has been led by Belgian winger Hazard the Frenchman having helped Leicester City win the Premier League last season With Arsenal looking unlikely to end their 13-year wait for the title Sanchez has single-handedly kept the North London club in the hunt for a top-four finish with 18 goals this campaign Everton's Lukaku leads the race for the golden boot with 23 goals has bagged 17 league goals in his first season in England having joined United from Paris St Germain at the start of the campaign Spurs midfielder Dele Alli is in contention to retain his Young Player of the Year award Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Burnley defender Michael Keane joined from second-tier side Milton Keynes Dons in 2015 and his 16 goals and five assists have been crucial to second-placed Spurs' title hopes this season The award winner will be announced on April 23 Congratulations to @nglkante and @hazardeden10, who are both nominated for @PFA Players’ Player of the Year!pic.twitter.com/0W7OcUvgiU Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 13, 2017 Fritland has earned a reputation for serving one of the best mitraillettes in town ever since 1987 – they add baked onions and sometimes even tiny chili peppers for a little extra oomph Maison Antoine Maison Antoine was founded by Antoine Desmet and his wife in 1948 the Brussels venue near the European Parliament is still going strong and bursting with authentic character as the ‘maison’ is actually a large hexagonal kiosk in the middle of Jourdan Square While you’re waiting for your order – the popularity of this place makes sure there’s almost always a line – you’re welcome to stare at their quirky sculpture of a cone that has legs peeking out of it instead of fries Once you’ve gotten a hold of your mitraillette you can take it inside one of the square’s surrounding bars The cafés that have signs with a blinking cartoon cone on them will allow you to pair your typical Belgian snack with a typical Belgian beer This one isn’t in Brussels but rather a 25-minute tram ride away, yet its reputation is so stellar that you might want to consider taking the trip. Frequently named as one of Belgium’s best friteries, the chef in the Braine-le-Comte railway station – the same guy since the place opened its doors in 1993 – treats his clientele to all sorts of special flourishes He cuts his fries in front of his customers’ eyes and serves those who enjoy their meal at the friterie a complimentary cup of joe Friterie Chez Clémentine Located close to the Grand Place this friterie serves up freshly made fries and Mitraillettes with a choice of fillings and sauces this friterie serves up a range of delicious Belgian fries and Mitraillettes making it a convenient stop for visitors exploring the area Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? 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