Anderlecht’s Aït El Hadj Reflects on Decade-Long Stint and Departure

"Ten years, that doesn’t go away. But I wanted to leave. Felice Mazzù was a nice man, but I didn’t have my place in his philosophy. He always put me in the stands. Yet this season, I worked hard. I received compliments from experienced guys like Hoedt and Van Crombrugge. Vincent Kompany would also have congratulated me on my work," says the Belgian-Moroccan player in an interview with Het Belang van Limburg.

There was a time when the Belgian-Moroccan expressed his refusal to play with the Futures. "It was my way of saying I wanted to leave. I was assigned to the B team for a few days. Then I agreed to play with the Futures. It wasn’t a punishment. But I was still happy that Genk showed up. Like Anderlecht, it’s a team that wants to play football." He is impatient to cross crampons with his friends. "I can’t wait to play against my friends next week. I’ve already talked about it with Amuzu."

With KRC Genk, Anouar is experiencing a transition season: 57 minutes of play in seven substitutions. "This is a transition season for me. I understand that I can’t take the place of someone on a team that is doing well. I have to be at the top next season," he hopes.