Axel Witsel is Borussia Dortmund's biggest signing. At the age of 29, the Belgian moves for the first time to one of the top four leagues in Europe. One of the reasons for that is a bad foul, which he committed ten years ago.

Axel Witsel started running and pulled through. The then 19-year-old from Standard Liege did not stop even when his opponent kicked the ball outside the touchline. Witsel hit Anderlecht defender Marcin Wasilewski's ankle with full power. His opponent cried out in pain and writhed on the pitch.

The pictures were not for the faint of heart - Wasilewski broke the tibia and fibula during the nasty foul. A foul that not only changed the career of the one who suffered. Witsel also suffered years of consequences. Nine years after the foul, the Belgian moves to a top European league for the first time, the 29-year-old joins Dortmund for 20 million euros from the Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian.

Without the unfortunate action, the midfielder's career would certainly have been different. As a teenager, Witsel was seen as the top talent of Belgian football. His transfer to England seemed to be just a matter of time.

But the foul made the highly talented and technically skilled player an outsider in the world of football. "Witsel lost his reputation and his class. His club and he must be ashamed, "wrote the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws at the time. The league suspended Witsel for eight games, the sponsors distanced themselves from him. The newspaper Belang van Limburg wrote: "Witsel's attack shocks the whole of Belgium."

Witsel became an object of hatred at Belgian stadiums. "The incident has changed Axel. There is an Axel before this foul, and an Axel after it. He became more reserved. It was obvious that the whole storm around him touched him, " said Witsel's father Thierry to The Guardian. His son became thick-skinned, nothing could drive him crazy anymore.

Witsel followed the call of money to China

He still stayed two more years in his home country before moving to Benfica in 2011. In Portugal, he matured into a strong midfielder. And again he surprised with his transfer. Witsel turned down the offers from the English Premier League and went to Zenit St. Petersburg. He stayed in Russia for five years, scoring 22 goals in 180 games for Zenit.

Especially in the Champions League, he drew attention with his strong performances. Juventus wanted to sign him, but Witsel followed the call of money to China. He made no secret of the reason for his transfer to Tianjin Quanjian: "It was a very difficult decision. On the one hand, a top club like Juventus, on the other an offer that I could not refuse for my family."

Witsel is said to have earned 18 million euros a year. He will not get that much at Borussia Dortmund. "After the World Cup, my goal was to move from China back to Europe," said Witsel. He is totally happy and also proud to be allowed to play for Dortmund soon: "After our first conversation I did not have to think twice, because for me Borussia Dortmund is one of the best clubs on the continent. Honestly, I can not wait to play in front of 81,000 people. "

Source: Die Welt