French defender Eric Abidal,who recently announced his retirement from professional football, stated today he took this decision based on how he felt about playing the game. Despite being in top form after beating liver cancer, the former Barcelona left back revealed he did not enjoy playing football that much in order to continue doing it for the next two or three years.
"When you are a sportsman, you know when it's time to step down. I did not feel the same joy about playing anymore, and that's why I made that choice. I had been considering retirement over the past three months, and finally I decided to come forward. Right now, as I said before, I want to focus on spending time with my family," Abidal emphasized.
Asked about his current relationship with Barcelona's top men, Abidal acknowledged why the team chose not to extend his contract back in 2012, and clarified he left the team in good terms, being such he is considering their offer to lead their academies.
"When I was sick, they always backed me up. After that happened, they had to make decisions. Each and everyone of them gave me a straight answer and that's that. There are no hard feelings among us, I wanted to continue playing for them but they didn't, and it's OK. I am still considering their offer to take control of their youth teams, but since I've got some other options, I'm going to take some time so I can make the best decision for my family and myself," Abidal added.
Finally, Abidal remembered his coach Tito Vilanova, who lost the fight to cancer earlier this year.
"Some people make it, some don't. He meant a lot to me because he trusted me. He even told me before my contract was up, that if I proved to be in top shape, he would keep me in the team, but unfortunately he did not have the final say about it. When I heard about his situation I travelled to Barcelona from Monaco to be with his family," the Frenchman concluded.
