Axel Witsel

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Axel Witsel
Zenit-Tosno (7).jpg
Witsel with Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2015
Personal information
Full name Axel Laurent Angel Lambert Witsel[1]
Date of birth (1989-01-12) 12 January 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth Liège, Belgium
Height Script error: No such module "person height".
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Zenit Saint Petersburg
Number 28
Youth career
2004–2006 Standard Liège
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2011 Standard Liège 148 (34)
2011–2012 Benfica 32 (1)
2012– Zenit Saint Petersburg 106 (15)
International career‡
2004 Belgium U15 1 (0)
2005 Belgium U16 2 (0)
2005–2006 Belgium U17 19 (0)
2006–2007 Belgium U18 5 (0)
2006 Belgium U19 3 (0)
2007–2009 Belgium U21 10 (0)
2008– Belgium 64 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 May 2016
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 March 2016

Axel Laurent Angel Lambert Witsel (born 12 January 1989) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg and the Belgium national team.[3] He came into the first team as a right-winger, and can also play attacking midfielder, though his natural position is centre midfield.

He made his senior international debut in 2008 and has earned over 60 caps for Belgium, representing the country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Standard Liège

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. On 17 September 2006 a 17-year-old Witsel made his debut with Standard Liège during a competitive game against FC Brussels when he replaced Steven Defour in the 89th minute. Eleven days later, he made his European debut as a substitute.

During the 2007–08 season, at 18 years of age, he was a key member in the squad of Standard Liège, winners of the Belgian League title that year. During this year, he formed a very young midfield together with other Belgian talents Defour and Marouane Fellaini. In the following season, he scored the winning goal from the penalty spot in a two-legged playoff to decide the championship.

On 30 August 2009, Witsel sparked controversy when he broke Marcin Wasilewski's leg by stamping on his ankle during the match between Anderlecht and Standard.[4][5] Following the tackle, Witsel protested the red card, claiming that it was an accident without intent, before being sent off the pitch. He soon apologised, but was the subject of criticism from several media outlets and numerous death threats from angry Anderlecht and Poland fans.[6] The initial ban until 23 November by the Belgian Football Association,[7] was later reduced on appeal to eight matches.[8]

Benfica

Witsel signed for Portuguese club Benfica on a five-year deal on 13 July 2011, including a €40 million buyout clause.[9] Witsel scored twice in the 3–1 win against FC Twente, in the Champions League play-off second leg, on 24 August 2011, sending Benfica to the group stages with a 5–3 aggregate victory.[10]

Witsel playing for Benfica against Zenit in 2012

He scored the opening goal in a 4–1 thrashing of Vitória de Guimarães in the Taça da Liga on 9 January 2012.[11] He then assisted Nolito in a 4–1 league defeat of Vitória de Setúbal. Witsel scored his fourth goal against Santa Clara on 18 January in a Taça da Liga match.[12] Benfica reached the final on 14 April against Gil Vicente and Witsel was awarded the Man of the Match award as Benfica claimed their fourth Taça da Liga title with a 2–1 victory.[13]

Zenit St Petersburg

On 3 September 2012, Witsel signed for Zenit Saint Petersburg for €40 million, after signing a five-year contract.[14][15] Witsel made his debut in the Russian Premier League on 14 September, replacing Konstantin Zyryanov in the 70th minute as Zenit fell 2–0 to Terek Grozny.[16] He scored his first two goals for the club on 30 November when Zenit brushed aside Spartak Moscow 4–2 at the Luzhniki Stadium.[17] Witsel scored Zenit's winner against Terek Grozny on 30 March 2013, an eighth-minute strike, as his side cruised to a 3–0 league victory.[18]

In Zenit's first match of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League group stage on 16 September 2014, Witsel scored Zenit's second goal in a 2–0 away victory over former club Benfica.[19] After finishing third in their Champions League group, Zenit were parachuted into the Europa League knockout phase; in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash against Torino on 12 March 2015, Witsel scored on a rebound as Zenit defeated the Italian club 2–0.[20] On 26 April, Witsel scored the game's only goal in the seventeenth minute as Zenit defeated Arsenal Tula in a league match at the Petrovskiy Stadium.[21] On Sunday 17 May, Witsel played the full 90 minutes as Zenit drew 1–1 with FC Ufa, earning the point they needed to secure the Premier League crown, the club's fourth overall and Witsel's first with Zenit.[22]

In the 2015 Russian Super Cup on 12 July 2015, Witsel converted his penalty shot in a 4–2 penalty shoot-out victory over FC Lokomotiv Moscow after the match had finished 1–1.[23]

Club statistics

As of match played 11 May 2016
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Standard Liège 2006–07 Belgian Pro League 16 2 0 0 — 1 0 17 1
2007–08 33 7 0 0 — 3 1 39 8
2008–09 35 8 0 0 — 10 1 45 9
2009–10 28 5 1 1 — 12 4 40 10
2010–11 37 10 6 2 — 0 0 43 12
Total 149 32 7 3 — — 26 6 181 42
Benfica 2011–12 Primeira Liga 29 1 4 2 2 0 14 2 49 5
Zenit Saint Petersburg 2012–13 Russian Premier League 19 4 3 0 — 9 1 34 5
2013–14 29 4 1 0 1 0 11 0 42 4
2014–15 28 4 1 0 — 13 2 42 6
2015–16 29 3 2 2 1 0 7 1 39 6
Total 105 15 7 2 4 0 39 4 156 21
Career total 156 57 15 7 4 0 63 10 238 74

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International career

Witsel with Belgium in 2011

Prior to making his international debut for the senior side, he played for the under-21 side in 2007 earning nine caps as well as helping his side reach the semi-finals of the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.

On 26 March 2008, Witsel made his international debut during a friendly game against Morocco. The match resulted in a 1–4 loss, but Witsel scored his first goal for Belgium.

On 13 May 2014, Witsel was named in Belgium's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[24] He started in midfield in the team's first game of the tournament, a 2–1 win against Algeria in Belo Horizonte.[25]

International goals

Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref
1. 26 March 2008 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels  Morocco 1–2 1–4 Friendly [26]
2. 17 November 2009 Stade Louis Dugauguez, Sedan  Qatar 1–0 2–0 Friendly [27]
3. 9 February 2011 Jules Ottenstadion, Ghent  Finland 1–0 1–1 Friendly [28]
4. 25 March 2011 Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna  Austria 1–0 2–0 Euro 2012 qualifier [29]
5. 2–0
6. 4 September 2014 Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège  Australia 2–0 2–0 Friendly [30]

Honours

Club

Standard Liege[31]
Benfica
Zenit

Individual

References

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External links

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  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ http://www.standard.be/fr/c_joueurs_saison.php?id=644
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ http://goal.com/en/news/755/europe/2009/09/01/1474358/standard-liege-stars-defour-witsel-receive-death-threats
  7. ↑ Standard Liege midfielder Axel Witsel banned for horror tackle
  8. ↑ Witsel horror tackle ban reduced
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Zenit signs Witsel
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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