Ait El Hadj: "I thought everything would happen by itself"

INTERVIEWS In an interview with Het Belang van Limburg today, Anouar Ait El Hadj looks back on his departure from Anderlecht. "That it went downhill is my own fault," he now realizes. El Hadj hoped to resurface under Vincent Kompany. Until the latter left. "I didn't fit into Mazzu's philosophy," he said.


After a strong breakthrough season, Ait El Hadj let it hang a bit during the off-season. "I was 18 and thought everything would happen by itself. I started the preparation badly," he reflects on the summer of 2021. "Kompany was strict, but he did bring me back. Yet I disappeared from the picture again."

After the 2021-2022 season, Ait El Hadj had a good conversation with Kompany. "He encouraged me and would bring me back to the top. But then he left for Burnley," said the Moroccan Belgian. Felice Mazzu came in his place and it clicked much less well. "Mazzu is a nice person, but after two weeks it was clear that I didn't fit into his philosophy," he said. And so he barely got to play. "Even though I got praise from guys like Van Crombrugge and Hoedt because I worked hard."

In August, there was a brief riot because Ait El Hadj refused to play with the Futures. "That was my way of saying I wanted to leave," he now looks back on it. However, he certainly did not find playing for the Futures a punishment, he now says.

In January, Ait El Hadj swapped Anderlecht for Genk for two million euros. There he was already allowed to fill in briefly seven times. "This is a transitional season, next season I have to be top," says the attacking midfielder. Although he won't hesitate next weekend if he gets the chance to shine against Anderlecht. "That will be special and I'm looking forward to it."