FCBARCELONA.CAT

25.11.2009 13:27

Abidal a guarantee at left back

David Puig

Eric Abidal has committed his future to FC Barcelona at the peak of his footballing career. The 30-year-old French international defender is playing his best football since he joined the Club in summer 2007.

Abidal is enjoying his best start to the season since he signed for FC Barcelona. The 30-year-old is at the peak of his footballing powers and is looking forward to the future with the same desire as when he moved to the Club from Olympique Lyon in the summer of 2007. His new contract was signed the day after he returned from flu and injury to help the team defeat Inter Milan in the Champions League.

This season’s stats

So far this season, Eric Abidal has played 13 competitive matches (including 11 starts) in the League, Champions League and Cup. He has recovered possession 84 times and has only committed 15 fouls. And all this without receiving a single card – which gives some idea of his effectiveness in defence.

Collector of titles

In his ten years as a professional footballer, Abidal has accumulated a lot of silverware. After four seasons without a title with Monaco and Lille, Abidal moved to Olympique Lyon in 2004/05 and went on to win three French league titles and three Super Cups.

The success didn’t stop when he moved to FC Barcelona in 2007. The first season was one of readjustment and did not bring any more medals. Then came the change of manager and at the orders of Josep Guardiola he became a vital part of the Barça treble-winning side.

Lost opportunities

Abidal had the bad luck to be suspended for both Cup and Champions League finals so this season he’ll be determined to make up for lost opportunities. At the moment he has picked up winners’ medals in the Spanish and European Super Cups. He featured in the starting line-up of both matches - in Monaco against Shakhtar and in San Mamés against Bilbao in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup.