Eric Abidal

Eric Abidal
Born	Eric Sylvain Abidal (1979-09-11) September 11, 1979 Saint-Genis-Laval, France
Occupation	Professional footballer (retired)
Years active	2000–2014
Known for	Football career as left-back and centre-back; liver transplant recovery; playing for Lyon, Barcelona, Monaco, Olympiacos; French national team appearances

Eric Sylvain Abidal (; born 11 September 1979) is a retired French professional football player who operated primarily as a left-back or centre-back.

His career highlights include significant spells at both Lyon and Barcelona, where he amassed a total of 18 major trophies, notably securing two Champions League crowns with Barcelona. Abidal's playing years were notably affected by a liver tumour, which necessitated a transplant.

Representing the French national team for nearly a decade, Abidal featured in two World Cups, finishing as runner-up in 2006, and also competed in Euro 2008.

Early career

Born in Saint-Genis-Laval, within the Lyon Metropolis to parents of Martiniquais descent, Abidal started his football journey at amateur club AS Lyon Duchère. He then moved into the professional ranks with AS Monaco FC, making his Ligue 1 debut on 16 September 2000. Over two seasons, he appeared in 22 league matches. For the 2002–03 campaign, Abidal transferred to Lille OSC, where he reunited with manager Claude Puel and established himself as a regular starter. Subsequently, he returned to his home region by joining Olympique Lyonnais.

Lyon

During his tenure at Lyon, Abidal contributed to three successive league titles, part of seven championships the club won while he was there. He earned acclaim for his defensive capabilities against elite opponents such as Cristiano Ronaldo, emphasizing his aim to disrupt their rhythm. His defensive colleagues included players like François Clerc, goalkeeper Grégory Coupet, Anthony Réveillère, and Brazilian internationals Caçapa and Cris.

Abidal netted his inaugural professional goal on 10 November 2004 during a 3–2 defeat against former side Lille in the second round of the Coupe de la Ligue. This goal held personal significance, inspiring his parents to wed after cohabiting for 35 years.

A fractured metatarsus sustained in a friendly versus Once Caldas forced him to miss the early part of the 2005–06 season, yet he still featured in 15 matches as Lyon clinched their fifth straight league title—the second championship during his spell.

Barcelona

On 29 June 2007, Abidal agreed to a four-year deal with FC Barcelona valued at €9 million. He had made clear that he would refuse to return to Lyon's training if the transfer was obstructed. Donning the number 22 jersey—since his former Lyon number 20 was assigned to Deco—he joined under terms that included a €90 million release clause and an additional €500,000 payment to Lyon should Barcelona win the UEFA Champions League within the next four seasons, as disclosed by club president Joan Laporta.

Abidal's La Liga debut occurred on 26 August 2007 in a goalless draw against Racing de Santander. He amassed 30 appearances during a season where Barça finished third. A red card received during the semi-final against Chelsea, controversially awarded for fouling fellow Frenchman Nicolas Anelka, sidelined him from the final. Suspensions also caused him to miss the decisive match of the Copa del Rey, despite Barcelona achieving a treble that year.

Throughout the 2009–10 season, Abidal maintained his starting position under coach Pep Guardiola, even after the arrival of Maxwell from Inter Milan. He opened his goal-scoring account for Barcelona on 5 January 2011 in the Spanish Cup last-16 second leg at the San Mamés Stadium, securing progression via away goals.

On 18 January 2012, Abidal scored his second goal for Barcelona in domestic cup competition, contributing to overturning a deficit with a 2–1 victory at rivals Real Madrid (4–3 aggregate). He extended his contract in February 2012 through June 2013 but was later informed on 30 May that no further renewal would be offered.

Health Concerns

On 15 March 2011, Barcelona revealed that Abidal had been diagnosed with a tumour in his liver and underwent surgery two days afterward. To respect the player's confidentiality, the club provided minimal details. Support poured in from players and fans globally through social media and sports forums.

Ahead of the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League round-of-16 fixture, players from Real Madrid and Lyon donned Ánimo Abidal (Get Well Abidal) shirts, while the message appeared on the scoreboards at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. During Barcelona's game against Getafe CF on 19 March 2011, supporters applauded continuously throughout the 22nd minute, corresponding to Abidal’s jersey number. On 28 May 2011, during the Champions League Final versus Manchester United, Abidal completed the entire match; captain Carles Puyol entrusted him with the captain's armband and allowed him to lift the trophy first, symbolizing his successful recovery.

On 15 March 2012, complications from his earlier surgery necessitated a liver transplant for Abidal. The operation took place on 10 April, with his cousin Gérard acting as the donor. Barcelona dedicated their 4–0 triumph over Getafe to him. Abidal later disclosed that teammate Dani Alves had offered a portion of his liver but declined to avoid jeopardizing Alves’ professional career.

Abidal was released from hospital on 21 May 2012 and resumed training in October. By November, he stressed the importance of full recovery over rushing back into football. Cleared to train again by December, he returned to active sessions in January 2013. On 19 March, he featured for 65 minutes with FC Barcelona B in a friendly against FC Istres, and on 6 April made his official comeback by replacing Gerard Piqué in a 5–0 victory over RCD Mallorca. Two weeks later, he played an entire match in a 1–0 win against Levante UD.

Return to Monaco

On 8 July 2013, at age 33, Abidal rejoined Monaco after more than ten years away, signing a one-year deal with an option to extend. After aiding Monaco in securing a Champions League qualification spot during his first season back, he renewed his contract for an additional year.

Olympiacos

Shortly after extending with Monaco, on 5 July 2014, Abidal committed to Olympiacos on a two-year agreement. Although nearing retirement, he brought valuable leadership and experience, appearing in nine league matches and participating in UEFA Champions League fixtures. He retired on 19 December due to personal reasons.

Back at Barcelona

In June 2018, Abidal returned to Barcelona as director of football, succeeding Roberto Fernández. He was relieved of his duties on 18 August 2020 following the club’s heavy 8–2 defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

International Career

Abidal won 67 caps for the France national football team, making his debut on 18 August 2004 in a friendly versus Bosnia and Herzegovina. He played every minute as left-back during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where France finished as runners-up, except missing one match against Togo national football team due to suspension. In the final against Italy national football team, he successfully converted his penalty in the shootout.

Under coach Raymond Domenech, Abidal was first-choice throughout UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying and featured as a centre-back during the finals, where he conceded a penalty and received a red card in France’s 2–0 defeat to Italy. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he played as stopper against Uruguay national football team and Mexico national football team, but did not participate in the final group stage match against hosts South Africa national football team. France was eliminated after three games.

Style of play

Regarded as one of the top defenders worldwide during his prime, Abidal was known for his tactical acumen and adaptability. His ability to perform both as a central defender and left-back stemmed from his excellent positional awareness and understanding of the game. Throughout his peak years, his combination of pace, physicality, technical proficiency, and passing skills allowed him to contribute effectively to both defensive duties and attacking support.

Personal life

Abidal was brought up in a Catholic household but embraced Islam in his twenties. In 2003, he wed Hayet Kebir, a former gymnast. The couple has five children named Méliana, Canélia, Leyna, Kenya, and Edan.

In November 2021, Hayet initiated divorce proceedings following Abidal's admission of an extramarital relationship with Kheira Hamraoui, a Paris Saint-Germain player. This revelation emerged amid an inquiry into an assault involving Hamraoui.

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Monaco B	2000–01	CFA	8	0	—		—		—		—		8	0
Monaco	2000–01	French Division 1	8	0	0	0	—		1	0	—		9	0
	2001–02		14	0	2	0	1	0	—		—		17	0
	Total		22	0	2	0	1	0	1	0	—		26	0
Lille	2002–03	Ligue 1	27	0	1	0	2	0	—		—		30	0
	2003–04		35	0	1	0	2	0	—		—		38	0
	Total		62	0	2	0	4	0	—		—		68	0
Lyon	2004–05	Ligue 1	29	0	3	0	1	1	7	0	1	0	41	1
	2005–06		14	0	1	0	1	0	6	0	0	0	22	0
	2006–07		33	0	1	0	3	1	7	0	0	0	44	1
	Total		76	0	5	0	5	2	20	0	1	0	107	2
Barcelona	2007–08	La Liga	30	0	6	0	—		10	0	—		46	0
	2008–09		25	0	2	0	—		5	0	—		32	0
	2009–10		17	۰	۲	۰	—	۸ Template:Ef n	۰	۴ Template:Ef n	۰	۳۱	۰
	201۰-11		۲۶	۰	۵	۱	—	۸ Template:Ef n	۰	۲ Template:Ef n	۰	۴۱	۱
	201۱-12		۲۲	۰	۵	۱	—	۶ Template:Ef n	۰	۵ Template:Ef n	۰	۳۸	۱
	201۲-13		۵	۰	۰	۰	—	۰	۰	—	۵	۰
	Total	۱۲۵	۰	۲۰	۲	۰	۰	۳۷	۰	۱۱	۰	۱۹۳	۲
Monaco	۲۰۱۳-۱۴	Ligue ۱	— !!۲۹ !!۰
Olympiacos	۲۰۱۴-۱۵	Super League Greece	— !!۶ Template:Ef n !!۰ !! colspan = "۲" | — !!۱۵ !!۰
Career total	۳۲۸	۰	۳۲	۲	۱۰	۲	۶۴	۰	۱۲	۰	۴۴۶	۴

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Appearances	Goals
France	2004	1	0
	2005	3	0
	2006	15	0
	2007	12	0
	2008	9	0
	2009	5	0
	2010	6	0
	2011	9	0
	2012	1	0
	2013	6	0
Total		67	0

Honours

Lyon

• Ligue 1 titles: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07
• Trophée des Champions winner: 2004

Barcelona

• La Liga championships: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13
• Copa del Rey victories: 2008–09, 2011–12
• Supercopa de España titles: 2009, 2010, 2011
• UEFA Champions League wins: 2008–09, 2010–11
• UEFA Super Cup trophies: 2009, 2011
• FIFA Club World Cup titles: 2009, 2011

Olympiacos

• Super League Greece championship: 2014–15

France

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2006

Individual

• Selected for the Ligue 1 Team of the Year in 2005, 2006, and 2007
• Named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2007
• Awarded the LFP Defender of the Year in 2011
• Honored as the FC Barcelona Player of the Season (Trofeo Aldo Rovira) in 2012
• Recipient of the Globe Soccer Awards Player Career Award in 2012
• Winner of the Premio internazionale Giacinto Facchetti in 2013