Axel Witsel never thought of returning to Belgium: ‘I still want to play at the top level’
Axel Witsel was free and could therefore have returned to Belgium, but he chose to continue his career at Atlético Madrid.
At almost 34 years old, Axel Witsel is starting a new page in his career in Spain. But as soon as he arrived at the Colchoneros, he was faced with a demanding preparation. “I’m more ‘fit’ than usual” declared Witsel at a press conference on Wednesday. “I had not experienced such hard preparation since my standard season with Bölöni. We left for two weeks in the mountains, we had 3 training sessions a day. It was very intense, but in the end, we know that everyone group is ready for this season”.
And Witsel is not surprised to keep pace: “Last season was not easy, it’s true, but I still played a lot, almost 42 games, I think. When you’re in the last year of my contract, it’s never easy, but Dortmund have always respected me”.
Free, he could very well have returned to Belgium like Vertonghen, Alderweireld or Boyata. “I didn’t have the slightest contact, and it wasn’t in my head. I still want to stay at the top level and play in the Champions League, that’s why I went to Atlético. I I haven’t played football for 10 years now so I’m trying to make the most of it. For the future, I’m not saying yes, but not either. You never know what can happen”.