|
|
|
Eric Abidal (Bilal)
Eric Abidal (born July 11, 1979 in Lyon)
is a left-sided French football defender of Martiniquean descent who
currently plays for FC Barcelona in La Liga. He is married with an
Algerian woman and became a Muslim with Islamic name Bilal.
Club career
|
Full name |
Éric Abidal |
|
Nationality |
French |
|
Date of birth |
July
11, 1979 |
|
Place of birth |
Lyon,
France |
|
Height |
1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
|
Nickname |
|
|
Position |
Left Back, Left Midfielder |
|
Number |
22 |
Abidal was trained in Lyon-La Duchère, a team playing in the suburbs of
Lyon. He started his professional career with AS Monaco on September 16,
2000, where he earned 22 first-team appearances. He moved to Lille OSC
where he was reunited with his former manager Claude Puel and earned 62
first-team appearances. At the end of 2004, he returned to his native
region by joining Olympique Lyonnais, which had just won its second
successive Ligue 1 championship. During his time in France he was
considered one of the best fullbacks in the Ligue 1. In the Lyon defense,
he played alongside other French internationals (Grégory Coupet, François
Clerc and Anthony Réveillère) and two Brazilian internationals (Cris and
Caçapa).
Eric Abidal and the FC Barcelona
On 30 June 2007, Abidal moved to Barcelona for €15 million, after
repeatedly stating that he would not return to training if he did not get
the move, signing a four-year contract and taking the number 22 jersey, as
the number 20 he wore at Lyon was already taken by Deco. Barça president
Joan Laporta also mentioned that Abidal's contract would contain a €90
million release clause, and that Lyon would receive an extra €500,000 if
Barcelona win the Champions League in any of the next four seasons.
National team
Abidal has earned 22 caps with the French national team, having earned his
début cap on August 18, 2004. Despite numerous injuries and disagreements
with FIFA in the past few seasons, Abidal played on the French team in the
2006 FIFA World Cup, starting at left back and playing every minute of the
tournament with the exception of France's match against Togo, from which
he was suspended after earning two yellow cards over the previous two
games. Mikaël Silvestre filled Abidal's left back slot for that game. When
France and Italy were forced into a penalty shootout in the Final, he was
placed third in France's five shooters. Abidal made his shot, putting it
past Yashin Award winning Gianluigi Buffon, but the French team lost the
shootout 5-3.
|
|