Eric Sylvain Abidal is a French former professional footballer who played as a left-back or centre-back.
21 Facts About Eric Abidal
2.
Eric Abidal played mainly for Lyon and Barcelona, totalling 18 trophies with both teams, including two Champions Leagues with the latter.
3.
Eric Abidal still managed to appear in 15 matches as Lyon won its fifth national championship in a row.
4.
Eric Abidal missed the 2009 Champions League Final against Manchester United after picking up a red card in the semi-final against Chelsea: the referee deemed Abidal to have fouled countryman Nicolas Anelka and denying a scoring opportunity, although video evidence suggested that any contact was minimal; again through suspension he did not dress up for the decisive match of the Copa del Rey, as the team won the treble.
5.
Eric Abidal scored his first goal on 5 January 2011, netting at the San Mames Stadium in the Spanish Cup last-16 second leg.
6.
Eric Abidal renewed his contract early into the following month, keeping him at the Camp Nou until 30 June 2013, but on 30 May of that year it was announced that the club would not further extend it.
7.
On 15 March 2011, Barcelona announced that Eric Abidal had been diagnosed with a tumour in his liver, and the player underwent surgery two days later.
8.
On 15 March 2012, it was announced that Eric Abidal would have to undergo a liver transplant because of problems which were unresolved with the previous operation.
9.
Eric Abidal returned to training in the Pyrenees in October 2012 but, the following month, he stated that his priority was a return to full health rather than resuming his football career.
10.
On 18 December 2012, Eric Abidal was given the green light to start training again, and he returned to active in January of the following year.
11.
On 8 July 2013,33-year-old Eric Abidal returned to Monaco after more than one decade, signing for one season with the option of a further one.
12.
On 5 July 2014, two days after renewing his link to Monaco, Eric Abidal signed a two-year contract with Olympiacos FC.
13.
Eric Abidal returned to Barcelona in June 2018, replacing Roberto Fernandez as the club's director of football.
14.
Eric Abidal earned 67 caps for the France national team, his debut coming on 18 August 2004 in a friendly with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
15.
Eric Abidal was selected for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, playing all the games and minutes in the country's runner-up campaign as left-back, with the exception of the match against Togo, from which he was suspended after earning two yellow cards in the first two fixtures.
16.
Again under Raymond Domenech, Eric Abidal was first-choice during the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.
17.
Eric Abidal played against Uruguay and Mexico in the 2010 World Cup again as stopper, opting out of the next game against host country South Africa as the French side again left the competition after only three matches.
18.
Eric Abidal was a tactically intelligent and versatile defender, capable of featuring as a centre or left-back due to his positional sense and his ability to read the game.
19.
Eric Abidal was raised in a Catholic family and converted to Islam in his 20s.
20.
Eric Abidal married former gymnast Hayet Kebir in 2003, fathering children Meliana, Canelia, Leyna, Kenya and Edan.
21.
In November 2021, Hayet filed for divorce after Eric Abidal admitted to having an affair with Paris Saint-Germain player Kheira Hamraoui.