Eric Abidal is a Traitorous Bitch
By: Inara | June 26th, 2007
I knew this was going to happen but was praying it wouldn’t.
Eric Abidal has threatened to pull an Essien (or Diarra, both apply) this summer.
UNGRATEFUL JERK.
After we bought you from Lille when you were a nobody, paid €10m for you (in those days, Lyon weren’t rolling in cash), and made you into the world class player you are, now you say you’re going to boycott training because Lyon refused Barcelona’s totally cheap and unacceptable offer?
FYI, they offered €9m, plus a maximum bonus of €3m depending on Barcelona’s success in the next four years (at one point they also offered washed out Giovanni van Bronckhorst…). So if Barca flop the next four years, Lyon don’t see that extra €3m.
Eric, sweetheart, you’re not even their first choice. They want you because you are cheaper than Cristian Chivu and Daniel Alves, and because Gianluca Zambrotta wants to go back to Italy.
Have some pride, dammit. How could you want to play for a club that think that you devalued in price?
This is a test of Lyon’s mettle. If they give in to Abidal’s demands and sell him for a rock-bottom fee, then clubs like Barca will think they have the right to unsettle our players, and the players will think they have a right to turn against Lyon the moment things don’t go their way.
Or Lyon can stand their ground and make him stay. So fine, he gets exiled for a month or two (a la Luca Toni in Fiorentina). He’ll come back. The chance to play is too hard to resist, and the worst case scenario is that Abidal buys out the last year of his contract and leaves for free next year.
That’s really not a big deal either, when you consider that Lyon owe Lille half of Abidal’s transfer fee. So even if Lyon sell him for €9m now, they would only get to keep half of that.
Pride is worth more than €4m.
In other news, please welcome The Offside’s newest addition, PSG. It’s great to see French representation growing.
Category: Team News and Rumors
Subscribe
|
Print
|
Share
      |
Comments
-
Thats the name, im glad the hair description pointed it out. Yeah ferarri and grosso have been linked to Lyon but neither will be leaving there teams, or even Italy for that matter. Auluas figures if Italy can plunder his squad why cant he do the same?
Posted from
United States
-
While we’re on the topic of Abidal, am I the only one in the universe who’s been underwhelmed by his performance for France lately? If I’m remembering right, the last game where I remember thinking “Wow” was Greece in November.
Since then I’ve found myself wondering if Evra couldn’t do better, particularly after watching Evra dismantle Roma in the first ManU-Roma Champions League game. (If he hadn’t been suspended in the second matchup I’m wondering if things would have ended differently.)
Even Julien Escude impressed me more than Abidal in the Austria game at leftback, and I don’t really consider him a leftback. (Actually, Escude impressed me to the point that I would really like to see him play at leftback in a real game against a higher-level opponent, to see if that was a fluke.)
But Abidal lately has underwhelmed me.
Posted from
United States -
Aulas can’t plunder a league that pays better wages, but props to him for trying.
Laurie, I agree. Abidal’s performance this year has been underwhelming in all competitions. It’s gotten to the point where most Lyon fans want him gone so that he can be replaced by someone who actually wants to play there. It’s been clear that his head has been elsewhere this entire season, and if he isn’t careful, he could very well lose that LB spot to Evra, who at least has his priorities straight.
I think in most respects, Abidal is a superior player - fast, athletic, not afraid of going up, links well with the LW, etc. His biggest drawback is losing his concentration, sometimes at key moments, something that might change when he’s playing against better opposition, I suppose.
Posted from
United States -
Rumor has it that Lyon and Barca will reach an agreement in the next few days, with an expected offer of 15 million euros.
It’s better than 12 at least.
Posted from
United States -
15 for him is a good price, we already made arangements for his departure so its a good deal, and he wont disrupt the training camp.
Posted from
United States -
Does nobody in france rate Clichy as a possibility for the NT? Better than Evra in my book, and is only going to get better. He’s great going forward, and completely owned Cronaldo in arsenal’s last game against manu, and he’s not likely to come up against anyone more capable than him on the wing.
Posted from
United States -
I’ve always thought it funny how Arsenal fans think that Clichy should be the LB, and MU fans think it should be Evra. Abidal is more consistent than both, and while not as flashy, he’s what Domenech wants (at least at this moment).
Clichy only just became a starter for Arsenal this year. He might have potential, but Domenech is currently interested in the finished product for the NT. The LB spot for France is pretty packed, with Abidal, Evra, Escude, and Silvestre all ahead of him in the pecking order.
I don’t see Clichy making it onto the team unless the first four choices get injured. Abidal is for now the unquestionable starter, with Evra taking #2. Escude seems to be #3, and Silvestre has also filled in for this spot (during the World Cup).
By the time Abidal and Evra are ready to retire, there are younger LBs in France ready to take over. But Clichy is still young, so he may have a chance to make it onto the team in a few years. But until the WC, I doubt it unless his form tremendously improves. He is also facing tough competition from Jeremy Mathieu, a talented prospect at Toulouse.
Posted from
United States -
Domenech does not look for the finished article otherwise Benzema, Nasri, Diaby, Lassana Diarra, and Sagna would not have ever been called up. Clichy has a shot at it, but Abidal and Evra are in his way, while Escude is a capable deputy there. Mathieu is almost 25, and although i rate him highly, unless he gets out of tolouse he will never catch Domenechs attention. Clichy has a better bet playing in the CL consistently. Other then that there is not much depth in that position for France.
Posted from
United States -
Good point Corey. I guess what I meant to say is that Domenech won’t bother with a prospect when the position is so loaded by very capable and still young players who will be around until South Africa, whereas the situation in midfield and attack is more severe (France is low on goals, and until Nasri, the midfield was entirely uncreative). Defense, on the other hand, is not a concern for Domenech, as France is loaded in all five positions.
Though to be honest, I rate Mathieu as a higher potential and think he has a lot of talent. He’ll get CL play this year, and if rumors are to be believed, he’s under the radar of Roma, which is a good thing. He won’t be a Toulouse for more than a year.
Posted from
United States -
Inara, would you take 10m euros plus Giuly for your evil, vile, scumbag traitor? Pleeeeeeease?
Posted from
United States -
I just worked my way through the Lyon-Lens game of May 10 — the only France game currently in Setanta’s archives. (Memory refresher: Lyon won 3-0.) What a lovely game. And…oh…wait…who is that gazelle streaking up the left touchline?
Oh, right, that’s Eric Abidal. I’d forgotten he could do that.
And bizarrely, there was one shot of the Algerian Benzema, with his hair closely cropped and his face dripping with sweat, where, just for a second, he was the image of Zidane in World Cup. They could have been twins. (I’ve never even thought they looked alike before.) It was kind of thrilling and frightening, all at the same time.
Posted from
United States -
P.S. I would love to see Giuly at Lyon.
Posted from
United States -
Isaiah: that would be nice, but not sure if Lyon would agree to that. Hell, after all this Abidal’s stink is worse than Chivu in terms of their behaviour, and I’m not even sure I want him given his recent form. Ah well.
Inara, would around 15 million euros seem right to you?
Posted from
Australia -
Clubs like Barça will always think they have the right to unsettle any players … there’s not much that can be done against it. Just look at Arsenal/Henry.
Posted from
Switzerland -
Isaiah: If the club’s pride wasn’t at stake, I’d happily exchange Abidal for a pack of gum. He’s getting on my nerves, and I don’t want him to disrupt training. The only reason I want Lyon to get as much money out of the deal as possible is so that it sends the message that Lyon is not a carpet for the rest of Europe to walk on.
At one point, an exchange was in the cards but didn’t work out. You can blame Giuly for this. Lyon were interested in having him come back to Lyon a few months ago and were willing to lower Abidal’s price if it included Giuly. But Giuly, who at that point thought he was too big to return to France, said no, so Aulas looked at other options and eventually settled on the 18.5m Kader Keita. Now there’s no way the club can accommodate Giuly.
Laurie: That was a good game. I wish Setanta had the Lens-Lyon game that took place in December, which was amazing. Even though Lyon were missing Fred, Benzema, Carew, Wiltord, and Govou, they still managed a 4-0 scoreline. Anyway, I have noticed once or twice that Benzema and Zidane look similar, except I think Benzema is slighter. Hopefully he’ll bulk up in the next few years or so.
Linda: I’ve been pretty disappointed in Abidal, but at Lyon, it seems that very few of the players are loyal to the club. So I guess I can’t be too upset since I knew it might come to this all along. Abidal has made it clear he wanted to play for Barca since last September, and he was assured of an exit should Barca meet his price. I guess he was frustrated at the delay, since Tiago’s deal went so quickly. But that’s not an excuse for his behavior, and I’m not at all sorry to see him go. Between him and Chivu, that’s a traitorous backline Barca is building up.
But I wouldn’t worry about his form. He’s a very reliable player, and with Euro 2008 around the corner, he’ll get back to his usual self. This year his heart just wasn’t in Lyon, another reason I’m happy to see him go.
And, 15 millions is good enough for me. Aulas’s 20m asking price was just a position to bargain from - I don’t think anyone expected the full amount. But if he had started off from 15, Barca would have started with a 5m bid. And 15m isn’t bad at all when you consider that we let Tiago go for the same amount.
Kitey: It’s really annoying when clubs do that. I remember last summer, when Real Madrid encouraged Diarra to threaten Lyon, and then there was Chelsea and Essien before that. To my knowledge, Juventus didn’t unsettle Tiago - but I could be wrong about that.
Though I really shouldn’t complain. Aulas has done his fair share of unsettling too. Last year it was with Ribery and Pauleta, and Lyon eventually forced their clubs to give them absurdly high salaries to prevent them from leaving for OL. This past winter it was with Frederic Piquionne (he of the famous “I’m a slave” comment when St. Etienne refused to let him transfer). Though so far this summer, Aulas has been clean with transfer dealings. I think he’s too busy selling to worry about buying at the moment.
Posted from
United States -
Picasso ?! Rose period ?! Oh probably not, morever, the rose period is a legend nothing else than a part of what he call himself ” my romantic period”. But so what? Ah yes, of course, Marcel Duchamps just after his Joconde. Great talent !
Hum, well, so i resume Abidal is a B…. someone who have the oldest job of the world, El Nino is a pimp who organize orgies, and Coupet ’s wife is one of his regulars…Posted from
France -
In the previous two season we have sold two of the most inportant players to the team and been fine. But now we are going to two important players and one good player, which leaves us with a huge deficit. Bodmer may make up for Tiago, but who will honestly match Abidal and Malouda? I have all the trust in Ben Arfa, but it just isnt his position, he will need to adapt, while neither Berthod nor Belhadj are great defenders. Fred is rumored to be going to Milan, while Aloud Diarra is still headed out, either Bordeua if mavuba leaves or newcastle. We are going to lose Cacapa, Abidal, Wiltord, Malouda, Tiago, Diarra and possibly Fred. Thats 7 first team regulars, all easily starters. Auluas needs to bring in a few more guys because we are looking paper thin right now.
Posted from
United States -
Personally, I’m not overjoyed with the Abidal signing…I’d much rather see Barca sign Alves and slide Zambrotta back over to his more natural left.
As it is, apart from his ‘traitorous’ behaviour, what are his pros/cons apart from lapses in concentration? (We have plenty of that in the back already, i.e. Oleguer and Marquez (Repeatedly)).
Posted from
United States -
I think if Alves hadn’t been so expensive, and if Barca hadn’t been bent on getting Chivu either, they probably would have gone for Alves. I guess Abidal was the next best thing.
My personal opinion of Abidal is that he’s a talented player. He isn’t explosive, but he isn’t inconsistent either. Like Malouda, Abidal is a very stable player and will give you reliable performances every week. So don’t expect him to wow you or anything, but if he’s doing his job correctly, the players he’s shutting down won’t wow you either.
He has a lot of pace and is very athletic, so he doesn’t get overwhelmed by faster or stronger players. One of the reasons that Lyon’s left side was so good is because he and Malouda linked up really well together (I would have liked to have seen them go to the same club, but oh well). He and Malouda would often interchange positions quite fluidly.
If he has one weakness, I think it’s his crosses, which while aren’t bad, aren’t superb either. As for his lapses in concentration, I think they were more due to the fact that his heart just wasn’t in playing for Lyon. Ever since he sets his sights on a move to Spain, it’s like he was mentally elsewhere while his body was going through the motions of playing in the “little leagues.” His output is normally quite good for France, though his World Cup performance wasn’t the best. He’s done a lot better for them (though like the entire Lyon team, he underperformed in 2007).
However, despite his threat of boycotting practice, on the whole, Abidal is a very professional player. He doesn’t get into disputes with other players, nor does he have any ego problems among teammates. So no worries about him becoming a galactico or anything.
I think you guys will end up being happy with him. He is one of the best LBs in the world, and once you get the chance to watch him week in and week out, you’ll see why he’s so highly rated in France and by Domenech.
Posted from
United States -
Thanks for the profile, Inara…LB is important for Barca, let alone anywhere in the defense…Belletti and Sylvinho’s crosses have been missed from the back as they are both equally adept…Yet, they couldn’t focus enough on tracking back and instead preferring to move up too often as Brasilians love to do…Suddenly Barcelona has become Les Bleu, eh?…Cheers.
What can you say about Alves though, eh?…What a dynamo RB he is…Whoever lands this young Brasilian is getting the man of the moment in defense and offense…Then again, they were all saying that about Ashley Cole not so long ago…So, you never know I suppose.
Posted from
United States -
The thing with Daniel Alves is Sevilla is almost structured around him as the play maker, as Barcelona would not. As Phill Ball, my favourite colunist pointed out, Daniel Alves has a team that supports him even though he is a defender and thus should be the support. i can not see Messi hanging back when Alves runs foward, so I dont know if he will make it at a different club, regardless of a big club. But who know, he can adapt well. Abidal will do nothing extrodinary for Barca, and that might mean he is on the bench alot, in spain if your not exceptional at something you are nothin, a consistent player doesnt have the same appeal. He may have to step up his attacking or defending to find plaudits from the Catalan press, who have criticized every Barca defender except Puyol this year.
Posted from
United States -
You have a point, Corey…but just.
Consistency at the back earns you high praise in any league, even La Liga…And any LB or any FB that can shut down their area, is going to rate highly even if he isn’t scoring…What’s the alternative anyway?…Oleguer?…And let’s face it, on a high octane offense like Barca’s, all he’s going to need to do is hold down the fort while HERM are peppering the keeper like target practice.
Posted from
United States -
FCBarca: With someone like Ronaldinho, who doesn’t track back, in this instance a more defensively minded LB can only be a good thing. Abidal won’t go up unless it’s safe to do so. So in this respect, Barca have gotten exactly what they needed for the position.
Corey: I love Phil Ball! I remember he had this great article on Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Pineapples a few months back. Anyway, I don’t think Abidal will care too much about whether he’s a fan favorite at Camp Nou. He’s a professional who doesn’t invest himself emotionally in the clubs he plays for (like Tiago). If he’s benched, that would be a waste of money for Barca, and he would lose his holding spot on the France NT. Though after his recent shenanigans, I don’t really care at this point.
Posted from
United States -
Well in Spain, you will have a miserable time if your not liked by the fans, its a different football culture then France were generally, except for the 30,000 or so in the stands, the general public is indifferent most of the time to the going ons in football.
FC BARCA: The debate is over a RB in Daniel Alves, who has Messi in front of him. This means two players who rarely play defense, leaving an entire side exposed. Abidal will cover for Ronaldinho if he does the same every now and then, which is not something he is known to do either. The problem is here Barca may look like Roma, where there is a huge movement forward and two CB’s left to pickup if theres a counter attack. Abidal is more disciplined then Alves, and Alves will be caught out alot because of this. Stick with Zambrotta, he is a better bet defensively.
Posted from
United States -
bonjour eric abidal
s’il vout je me nomme eric comme vos nom également
je suis un footbaleur comme vous et j’aime aussi le football si je vous voir sous ma télévision jouer au lyon ou en équipe nationl. je vous apprécier beaucoup et je serai très content à tout votre match a jouer et moi aussi je dirai qu’un jour je deviendrai un grand stars comme vous
a bientotPosted from
United States
Read the rest of the comments
Comments are closed
Home 
