Barcelona news
Eric Abidal is to leave Barcelona this summer as the club have not offered him a new contract and he still feels he can contribute as a player at the top level.
GettyImagesAbidal, sitting with his daughters, takes part in Barcelona’s title celebrations
– Abidal eyes France return
Abidal, 33, returned from a liver transplant operation in early April, having previously undergone treatment for a tumour first discovered in early 2011. He has made four senior appearances since getting a medical all-clear to resume playing, but the club have decided against renewing his deal, which ends in June.
The defender told reporters at the Camp Nou on Thursday morning that there were no health reasons preventing him from continuing his playing career, but he had reluctantly accepted the club’s decision.
“My idea is to keep playing and I have not changed on that,” Abidal said. “My health allows for that. I would have liked to continue playing for Barca, but the club sees things differently. I must respect that decision.”
Abidal, linked with big-spending Ligue 1 side Monaco in L’Equipe on Thursday, added: “It is difficult to hang up your boots and leave it all. I do not have any offers – I have not thought about anything. I had to respect my Barca contract.”
The decision means Barcelona’s home game against Malaga on Saturday afternoon will be his last for the club with which he has won two Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles and two Copas del Rey during six seasons in Catalonia.
“We will have to see if boss plays me,” Abidal said. “I would like some minutes in a last game at Camp Nou.”
In an emotional press conference attended by Barca president Sandro Rosell, sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, coach Tito Vilanova and many squad members, Abidal said he appreciated all the support he had received during his two long absences through illness.
“Thanks to my family, my cousin, my wife, my girls,” he said. “This is a difficult day for me. I have played six years at Barca and it has been the strongest experience of my life. I had two objectives after the operation: one was to see my daughters grow up, and the other to return to play. I want to thank all Barca fans for their support. I have had marvellous team-mates – thanks to them, to the coaches, all the doctors, the physios… I am going, but I will surely return. I have an offer from the club that I really appreciate.”
That offer was confirmed by Rosell, who deflected questions about the reasons behind the decision not to offer a new playing contract but said Abidal could return to head up Barca’s chain of football academies once he had finished his playing career.
“Abidal has the ideal profile to be the director of our football schools,” he said. “He fulfils all the requirements. He has won a place in our heart, and demonstrated the important things in life.”
Victor Valdes could soon follow Abidal out of the Catalan club after the goalkeeper, who in January said he would not be extending his current Barca deal, announced via Facebook that he would hold his own press conference on Friday morning.
“Tomorrow at 11am I have decided to speak in front of the media in the Camp Nou press room,” the Facebook message read. “A salute for everyone.”
Strong speculation in Spain and France has linked the Spain international, who still has a year remaining on his present contract, with a move to Monaco. His agent, Gines Carvajal, denied to Mundo Deportivo earlier this week that Valdes was travelling to the principality to finalise a deal.