Free from any contract since the end of his adventure at Girona, Axel Witsel urgently signed with OGC Nice to offset the long unavailability of Laurent Abergel. At 37 years old, the Belgian midfielder with 140 international caps arrives on the Côte d’Azur for one season, plus another as an option. With his experience and leadership, he could well become the boss that the Nice dressing room needs.
While other more exotic options had presented themselves to him, Axel Witsel did not hesitate long before choosing Nice. “It went quite quickly, we had been talking for about a week,” he confides, insisting on the immediate rapport with the management and Olivier Pantaloni. The club absolutely had to recruit a new midfielder after Laurent Abergel’s injury, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture of his right knee.
The Belgian, who has undertaken multiple moves abroad during his career (Portugal, Russia, China, Germany, Spain), had set his priority: to remain in Europe. He is not closing the door on the Red Devils either: “Nice remains a club where, by default, you can go to the national team.”
As an aside, the Gym had already tried to sign him a few years ago, without success.
Twenty years of top-level football
Having played for Standard Liège, Benfica, Dortmund and Atlético Madrid, the second most-capped player in the history of the Red Devils (140 caps) has around a hundred European cup matches. His trophy cabinet speaks for itself: two Belgian championships, champion of Portugal, Russia, and winner of the German Cup. With Belgium, Witsel is a bronze medalist at the 2018 World Cup.
Since his professional debut 20 years ago, he has been able to meet some of the greatest names in European football. He spontaneously cites Diego Simeone as the personality who marked him the most.
It was indeed under the Argentine’s orders that he discovered a new role, repositioned as a central defender in a three-man defense: “El Cholo saw me better in this position, I had the qualities to play the ball out cleanly.” An exercise he assures he can reproduce at Nice if needed, although midfield remains his most fulfilling position.
Too early to be ready
While his arrival is directly linked to Abergel’s injury, Witsel wants to put things in context. “It’s never nice to have a colleague get injured, especially as a new arrival. I hope he comes back as soon as possible,” he says, having himself missed six months of competition during his time in Germany.
Regarding his own availability, the Belgian tempers expectations for the Lorient match this Saturday: “I think it’s too early, I’ll need a few group training sessions to be ready.” To stay in shape after the World Cup, he has been doing physical training camps between the Caribbean, Belgium and Madrid. He hopes to be able to join the squad for the Paris FC match on August 30th.
Natural successor to Dante?
Beyond the sporting aspect, it is the dressing room leader profile that motivated his arrival. A role left vacant since the departure of Dante, emblematic captain of the Gym for a decade. Before signing, Axel Witsel actually sought advice from the Brazilian himself, the two having played together at Standard between 2007 and 2009: “He told me about the club, the facilities. I had a very good report back, it reinforced my idea to come.”
This leadership mantle, the Liège-born player says he takes on naturally, without overdoing it: “It’s not a role I was asked to take, it’s something I like to do naturally.” He intends to pass on his experience to the younger members of the squad, with a reputation to preserve in mind: “I have always left a very good image everywhere I have been, and I want that to continue.”
“I would like to finish here, why not play another two or three years”
Moving to the Côte d’Azur is not entirely a discovery for Witsel, who until recently owned a house in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Bought after falling in love with the region four years ago, he ironically sold it just before learning he would be joining OGC Nice.
The wine enthusiast, who owns his own wine estate, has also launched his real estate agency to devote himself to his third passion. The midfielder does not hide his desire to end his career in southern France: “I would like to finish here, why not play another two, three years and do a Dante.” A way for him to restore a good image of the club, after a difficult season.
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