La Liga giants Barcelona have announced Eric Abidal as the new sporting director at the club. The former Barca star played almost two centuries of games in six years after moving to Spain from Lyon. He won two Champions League, four league titles, two Copas del Rey, two Super Cups and two World Cups. Whilst at the Catalan giants, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to do a liver transplant in 2012. He eventually moved to AS Monaco the following year.
With current director Robert Fernandez set to vacate the post at the end of this month, Barcelona announced that Abidal would step up from his role as ambassador to sporting director. The La Liga champs said Fernandez will not be extending his role at the club which expires on June 30. They thanked him for his services and wished him the best.
“As such, FC Barcelona also announces that Eric Abidal will take over the role as football first team technical secretary. His official presentation will be on Monday, July 18,” the club statement read.
The former Blaugrana continues the club’s policy of offering top club roles to former players and staff of the club. Abidal is expected to oversee a key summer at the clubas Barcelona reshuffles to stay relevant at the European stage. The club has been linked with a move for Mohammed Salah of Liverpool but the player’s agent Ramy Abbas has denied such rumours. The more plausible one is that of Antoine Griezmann joining from Atletico Madrid.