Former Barcelona defender Eric Abidal has explained how he came to leave the club and the conversations that took place at the time.
The Frenchman needed a liver transplant in March 2011 and was given the green light to resume training in December of the same year, while he returned to first-team action in a 5-0 win over Real Mallorca five months later.
However, in July 2013 he was allowed to leave the Camp Nou and signed for former club Monaco after an absence of 11 years.
Speaking to BTV’s ‘La Porteria’ programme, Abidal explained about his meetings with Tito Vilanova, Andoni Zubizarreta and Sandro Rosell.
“[Former boss] Tito Vilanova told me if I was okay physically and also on a sporting level then he would put me in, while [then director of football] Zubizarreta informed me that he clearly did not see me in the squad for the following season,” disclosed Abidal.
According to the 35-year-old, former club President Sandro Rosell wanted to wash his hands of the situation, telling him “I do not make the decisions”.
“I’d liked to have continued for a few more years, but you can’t always get what you want in life,” he admitted.
