Axel Witsel rules out old club return, ex-Benfica man: said no | OneFootball

Before competing in his fourth World Cup, Axel Witsel confirmed that he will not remain at Girona next season. The Belgium international, a former Benfica player, is currently a free agent and admits he would prefer to stay in Spain, although he is not ruling out other offers.

At a press conference in Seattle, the 37-year-old midfielder was straightforward about his immediate future. “No. I don’t think so (that I’ll stay at Girona). I’m already a free agent and we’ve put that behind us,” said the player, confirming the end of his spell with the Spanish club.

Witsel was also clear in ruling out a return to Belgian football, namely to Standard Liège, the club where he came through the ranks: “When I talk about Belgium, we all know very well what we’re talking about. We’re only talking about Standard. That’s why I immediately said no,” he said. The midfielder explained that returns to the past “are never easy,” recalling his career at clubs such as Benfica, Zenit, Borussia Dortmund and Atlético Madrid, where he won several titles after leaving Belgium in 2011.

The former Benfica man also reflected on the season, describing it as one of “mixed feelings”: “On the one hand, relegation from LaLiga was a collective disappointment, but individually I had a lot of playing time. I played many high-level matches and that is one of the reasons why I am here,” he explained, referring to his presence at the 2026 World Cup.

Despite his age, the Belgium international insists that retirement is not on the table: “I still want to play. We’ll see where next year. It would be nice to stay in LaLiga, but I’m open to several offers. At my age, you can’t close yourself off to any destination. “It’s important to enjoy my fourth World Cup and that is the main thing for now,” he added.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.