Alves: I wanted to help Abidal

Dani Alves has confirmed that he did offer to act as donor to former Barcelona teammate Eric Abidal when he needed a liver transplant.

The Frenchman, who underwent the procedure in mid-2012 thanks to a donation from his cousin, last week revealed that Alves had offered himself.

“It was a private thing, something that had he not published, no-one would know,” mused Alves to Lance this week.

“I did not want to take advantage of this situation to generate some publicity. That was not my will.

“My only desire was to help, for the admiration that I have for Eric, for the love that I have for his family. When a life is at stake, football takes a back seat.

“Of course there was a risk to my career. It was not 100 per cent certain that I would have left football for the donation. There was a risk, but when a life is at stake, football is not important.

“Abidal is a person who I would do much for. I received from God the strength and intelligence to have alternatives and that I could have lived, even without football.

“If I had to do that [donate] to save a life, God would have opened other doors.”

Tags Abidal Alves
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