After his miraculous recovery from a liver transplant in April 2012, and his return to playing first team football with Barcelona a year later, it was a huge surprise when the Spanish club announced that they weren’t going to offer an extension to his contract at the end of this season. Perhaps they had already decided that he was going to struggle to break into the starting eleven ahead of Jordi Alba, who has flourished in his absence, and wanted to give him the opportunity to play regularly during the final years of his career. A tearful press conference confirmed that the French international was to return to his country and he has now signed for newly promoted Monaco, the place where it all started for Abidal thirteen years ago.
In fairness to Barcelona, they have offered him the chance to return to them once he hangs up his boots and he could be given a job in the academy or another role at the famous club where he achieved so much success. At least they were honest in saying that although he is a truly remarkable individual, and inspiration to many, they must pick the players and team based upon footballing merits, not sympathy.
The mega rich Monaco have big plans of their own now that they are back in the top division of French football and after splashing out enormous sums of money signing Falcao, Moutinho, Rodriguez and others, it would appear that PSG need to anticipate a serious attempt on their title crown.
Abidal can provide some much needed experience and a winning mentality to the side, which will take time to gel, and I believe that he still has a lot to offer the game. He has defied medical beliefs already just by returning to a football field. Can he add to his impressive trophy collection?
