News about Axel Witsel

THERE'S a way to bounce back from a nightmare of an international tournament and attempt to win friends and restore momentum. A way to offer an olive branch to supporters who have lost faith in those who let them down so badly.

Since transferring abroad seven years ago, a Chelsea former Premier League champion has made a lot of money with a lucrative deal. The international star appeared on the Blues in 2013, as well as league titles in 2015 and 2017 but left England for financial reasons, and after falling out of favour at Stamford Bridge, he was out of favour with them. Due to the player's departure, he was able to sign a lucrative £400,000-a-week contract in a growing Asian league, which was a deal that he signed right before government reforms meant that future players coming into the league would not be properly compensated.

After crashing out in the group stage amid lagging in the camp, five members of Belgium's World Cup squad departed earlier flights to fly home separately from their colleagues from Qatar. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Thomas Meunier, Axel Witsel, Jeremy Doku, Arthur Theate, and Lois Openda all paid for flights at their own expense. According to the Belgian daily, the five players had already arrived in Brussels, with the Red Devils expected to land in the evening.

On the third matchday for just two last-16 places, we're set for a thrilling finale in World Cup F as Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco face off on a dramatic finale. With both matches - Croatia vs. Belgium and Morocco vs. Canada - being played simultaneously on Thursday afternoon, we can anticipate plenty of twists and turns. Croatia and Morocco have four points in the game as a result of their victories over Canada and Belgium respectively on Sunday.

All 32 nations will be participating and training at the Qatar World Cup, with England selecting an alcohol-free beach resort, Germany attending a wellness retreat, and Belgium's base boasting a water park. Each country was shown a variety of options for their accommodation with inspection visits taking place while qualifying was still underway, and there was a 'first come, first served' policy in case more than one country wanted the same base. However, considering Qatar's crowded geography and the closeness of team hotels, training grounds, and stadiums, journey times would be short compared to the previous distances teams had to cover in Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.

PETE JENSON IN SPAIN: Joao Felix cost them €127 million (£113 million) three years ago, more than any other player in the club's history. However, they don't get along, and it's no longer something that the two people make as a result of their inability to conceal. Failing to score in 180 minutes against Club Brugge with 21 shots in the second game on Wednesday best illustrates the biggest problem that Atletico have, so why are they trying to solve it with their most talented forward watching from the bench? Joao Felix threw his bib down in disgust when it became clear he wasn't getting a single minute against Brugge.

After a dramatic 1-0 win in Ajax, Holland remained solid under heavy pressure from Belgium before scoring late to finish runners of group 4 in the UEFA Nations League. With a characteristic header from a corner in the 73rd minute, Virgil van Dijk sealed an unbeaten Nations League bid at the Amsterdam Arena for the Dutch. They ended with 16 points, six more than Belgium, who had a chance to leapfrog their neighbors, and took first place, but they had to win by three goals or more on Sunday to do so. Any hopes of a goal game were quickly dashed, however, as the two teams effectively killed each other in a close tactical battle.

Atletico Madrid won a 2-1 victory over 10-man Porto in the Champions League thanks to Antoine Griezmann's winner in the 101st minute. In stoppage time, Mario Simeone's side had a lead, but Porto had a tough fight after Mateus Uribe's 96th minute penalty. Griezmann, who is yet to start a match this season, was able to score an amazing last-gasp winner in the 11th minute of stoppage time.

According to Barcelona, Simeone is being asked by Atletico Madrid to use Antoine Griezmann sparingly, so that the club does not have to buy him outright at the end of the season. Griezmann reconnected Atletico Madrid on a first two-year loan agreement last summer, with Atletico having a right to buy him in 2023 if such conditions are fulfilled. Barcelona fears that if the Frenchman plays 50% of the games they are able to attend, they will have to pay a €40 million (£33.8 million) transfer fee.