Abidal Doesn’t Have to Do Laundry Anymore
By: Inara | July 31st, 2007Now that Eric Abidal is safely ensconced at Barcelona, with no chance of ever returning to Lyon in the near future, he felt safe enough to share his initial thoughts of joining Barca and how different it is from Lyon. Here are some excerpts, but the entire article can be found here.
Hanging out with the cool kids.
Despite not taking long to decide to move clubs, the transfer saga dragged on as Lyon played hard ball over the fee, but Abidal believes it was all par for the course. “I had no fear that it would not happen,” he continued. “The president, Jean-Michel Aulas, always does that. Joining Lyon is always very easy for players, but leaving the club is not. He has his job to do, to negotiate and use the media to raise the fee as much as possible. I knew what would happen, but I would have preferred it to have all happened a bit quicker.”
I’ve always had that faint niggle in the back of my head that there was a mafioso quality to Lyon, but now we have official confirmation. Aulas > The Godfather I, II, and III.
“Something else that is new is that here they give you clean kit before every training session and you never have to carry balls or anything else out. In France they give us all kits at the start of the season and we have to deal with it ourselves. We had to drag everything through airports ourselves. It surprised me to see that it is not like that here and I am pleased too.”
Note to self: maybe Lyon are losing players because they have to do their own laundry and their own packing. Hey, Jean-mimi, stop being such a stingy bastard and hire a personal manservant for each of the players. Thanks.
“At Lyon I helped the attack, but never forgot my defensive responsibilities. There is a difference between attacking from time-to-time and attacking all the time. At Barcelona the defenders have to defend.”
What is he talking about? He had nearly the same offensive contribution as Gregory Coupet. In fact, it always seemed to me that Abidal is more of a pure defender (he started out in central defense at Lille). His replacements, Fabio Grosso and Nadir Belhadj (because Lyon needs two players to replace one these days), are the opposite – attackers shifted to defense.
It was nearly impossible to circumvent Abidal in the back. The few times I did see him fail were when he lost concentration (I blame Barcelona for that). And though he would interchange with Florent Malouda when required, he never seemed much of an attacker to me.
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Pfff… So many things to say to him.
I’d rather add : “No comment”.Posted from
France
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His comments made me laugh, it is so pathetic. Way to get back at your old club, by telling them they are lesser because the players had to wash their own training kit or carry balls out to the pitch for training! Shocking! Seeing as how the estimated 1 billion people who play football in the world dont have shoes, a real ball or goals, I think he should go fuck himself, prick. I love Lyon, but the French attitude is ridiculous on this guy. He needs a Kyle Martino on Hercule Gomez beat down. To bad Mamadou has left, because he would probably break his spine in half for Lyon. But then again Cris could always manage that too.
Abidal was not much going forward, a little slow and poor crosser. He wont be expected to sit back and defend in Spain, he will need to get forward, he is a Cule now, they want attack, passion, flair. Abidal is a boring but steadily consistent player (he was consistently bad for us last year, which is why Berthod was so aggrieved to never get a game). Id keep Abidal over Grosso and Belhadj, but oh well. Ohh, and i watched the Godfather 5 times this weekend on AMC, good stuff while nursing a hangover.
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At least he didn’t complain about the weather.
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This is so low. I usually like this guy because he’s funny and all. But what should never be done is get back at your old club when it basically made you. Don’t get me wrong, I hate Aulas more than the next guy, but this particular transfer went quickly compared to what happens every year at Lyon.
This was unnecessary on so many levels.Posted from
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What is so fun is that when they speak about how it’s easy to join Lyon. Essien and Diarra said that too. Damn, I live in lyon, but I didn’t know that we were playing in Ligue 2 or so.
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The comments about washing shirts, carrying balls onto training pitchs(god forbid you ask a footballer to do that) and bags onto planes really do him no favours. They just make him sound very prima donna.
When Lyon played Milan at Gerland the season before last, the club ran a cute little article explaining some differences between the clubs. One was how all the Milan players had their bags carried for them, but the Lyon players carried their own. Frankly the OL way came across as much more feet on the ground, down to earth.
With all the negative press that todays top players get for the money they earn, complaining about having to carry your own overnight bag when you’re a mid twenties man in top physical condition is a bit rich.
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I always had the feeling that Abidal didn’t have any love for OL and this kind of confirms it. Well of course the fact that he left confirmed it too but to say that one of the best things about playing in Barcalona is the way that they carry the luggage for you speaks volumes about his priorities. Abidal played without passion the last season and to see Belhadj storming all over the pitch with fire in his gut made me realise that passion is so important in a player. It also made me realise why overpayed and pampered athletes usually have no motivation to play to their true potential.
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Well here is the thing lefutur, Abidal is Lyonais. Thats the most difficult thing to understand. His comments basically say that Lyon is a backwater compared to the cosmopiltan and swank Barcelona, but having been to both cities i have to say besides the ugly “artwork” all over Barca they are both tremendous cities. In footballing terms, sure Barca has more prestige, but at Lyon you have a family and a project, something you can really get behind and be apart of. Barca changes projects every time success isnt achieved. I would much prefer to be part of establishing a team as a powerhouse then as a player on a power house where your name will be forgotten in 3 years. How many of you can tell me who the previous left backs for Barca have been. starting in 04? Ill give you a hint, they are all in general obscurity.
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You know most players want at the end of the day?
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Abidal has considered himself too good for Lyon for quite a few seasons, actually, so I’m not surprised with his offhand attitude now that he’s being treated like he feels he deserves. He stayed at Lyon for three years, making it clear that we were another springboard. While I don’t wish him unwell to the point that I hope he fails at Barcelona, I do hope he realizes what he’s missing.
Mahamadou Diarra did.
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http://www.olweb.fr/index.php?lng=en&a=34358&pid=101002
Fred is back, he wants to iron out on problem with Auluas and he is focused on returning. Alright, that sounds good, our team is set barring any deadline decisions. Hopefully Beynie is integrated so we have a complete squad, although i still fear for the left side but i dont know if many players could replace Abaloudal (theres a new one) so we will have to be content. If Ben Arfa can step up and be the spark in the offense he needs to be like Samir Nasri is we will have no trouble winning the 7th (7th Heaven) and that is my greatest hope, that he elevates his game this year. But also Fred puts a few past Ligue 1 keepers too, glad he is back.
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wow. it sounds like Fred is excited to be back. i do think the 4-4-2 formation will suit him better.
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I know, it is long, but this interview/history of Bosman is really interesting (google translation from Le Monde):
First half:Jean-Marc Bosman remâche the ingratitude of the men in general and that of the footballers in particular. In the name of justice, it immolé its sporting career and more still the thousand pleasures which accompany it. “The adrenalin of the cloakrooms, the excitation of the public, passion around the balloon, that, I was private forever.” It will have known the joy only of only one victory, on December 15, 1995, this decision of the Court of Justice of the European Communities, known as “Bosman stop”. The match of a life, with the world of the foot like adversary. Gained, but at what a price! “One cannot know how that destroyed somebody, a combat like that.” In its house of Villers-Lévêque, vain suburbs of Liege, the man kept this frank face which had made the turn of the world twelve years ago. Its physique was pasted in forty: 66 kg that it trotted on the grounds when it was the medium of the most promising ground of Belgian football, the captain of the national team “hopes”, became 75 about it good weighed. Its glance especially, where was read at one time most beautiful of obstinacies, is lost in vagueness. The fault with all its gobées empty promises and the antidepressants swallowed over. Bosman is not rancorous. The proof: it still looks at the foot on TV. These tournaments of spoiled children leave it thoughtful. “Players, if they gain such an amount of money, even while remaining in the platforms, it is a little thanks to me.” Much even: by founding the release of the sportsmen at the end of their contract in a club, by imposing their freedom of movement in the Union, the Bosman stop deeply modified the rules of the transfers, with their advantage. It also accelerated until the tournis the waltz of the million and the players. “What aggravates me, it is to see a guy, after having marked a goal, to strike the escutcheon of the club as a sign of fidelity whereas it changes two months them later.” Difficult to leave its name to a stop which became synonymous with large under, of sport business and mercenary spirit. “Much of people still the direction of my combat did not include/understand”, deplores Jean-Marc Bosman. It had protested against an injustice, in the name of human dignity. It wanted just that does not arrive any more at another what had fallen to him above, in this June 1990. It was 25 years old and its promising career knew one of these bottoms which mark out any sporting trajectory. Its club, the RFC Liege, proposes to renew its contract, with reduced wages of the three quarters. The player refuses and asks to be placed on the list of the transfers. At the time, the purchasing club was to pour an allowance with the salesman, even at the end of the lease. The leaders inhabitant of Liège fix an amount quite higher than its commercial value, suitable to dissuade any purchaser. The player is obliged to sign with his club the unconscionable bargain or to give up the trade. Humiliated, Jean-Marc Bosman tackles in justice the legality of the system of transfers and the rule enacted by the European Union of football association (UEFA), which limits the number of foreign players in each team. The authorities of the foot make him pay its revolt. It becomes “tricard”. Interdict of club, it is private balloon of which it has been nourished for its 10 years. With end of incomes, it must live in the garage of his parents. With its victory in justice, Jean-Marc Bosman reaches the stardom which had been denied to him on the ground. Its history makes the turn of the world. Peeled invites it in Brazil. Diego Maradona and Eric Cantona court it, embringuent it in a project of trade union. He obtains justice of pretty compensations and Canal+ a large cheque to carry out documentary. He invests in the real estate, boursicote, rolls as a Porsche, is invited in large hotels, saw with delay the noisy life of star. That does not last. All with the negotiation of their new plated contracts but, the players forget their promise of solidarity. A match with its profit, organized in Lille in 1996, is transformed into furnace: the great names were countermanded. “I discovered their selfishness.” Many will refuse to be let photograph in its company. “As if I felt bad.” Jean-Marc Bosman is locked up in an idle life.
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2nd half:
Like sportsmen at the end of the career, it numbers étiole in a premature retirement, plays tennis, arranges, mows the lawn, will seek his daughter with horsemanship. His/her new partner, Carine, support it best than it can. But too many spare time leads it to re-sift. “From the heaps of things pass to me by the head. I try to persuade me, I say myself: “Jean-Marc, you are 42 years old, are not to you foutu! “” Récemment, it believed that the international trade union of the players was going to engage it. But, in April, it was the cold shower, two accounts – cheques of 10.000 euros for balance of any account and a short letter in the form of good-bye: “It is very important that you begin a new professional career not only from the financial point of view but of that of your personal development.” Easy to say. “I stopped my studies at 17 years for the foot. I am not entitled to unemployment. What I can make: to go to work at Cora as if nothing had occurred?” Today, it hopes in the UEFA and its new president, Michel Platini. After his election, the former player met, made him a friendly slap in the back. “You will remain in the history like Bic”, it launched him. It was a compliment. “It made me say that it would make a gesture. I believe that it was sincere but, for the moment, I do not have a news.” On the other hand, the Belgian tax department was announced, which claims tax arrears to him. It must pass in judgement in September. “I live in the anguish to have to sell my house.” What to want to begin again, perhaps, it is sure even, another white wine glass. In the middle of the cluster of smooth talkers and bad advisers, Jean-Marc Bosman however found “a friend faithful”, Luc Misson. Its former lawyer became a little his confidant. “It announces its bitterness to me on the way in which the things turned, explains to Me Misson. I divide it. The stop Bosman, it was all except the ultraliberalism. It was on the contrary to put the human being at the center, to make of a footballer a worker like another. But the European Commission détricoté the stop.” Jean-Marc will have gained in all that only “to preserve the pride of oneself” and the hope of a remote revenge. “I will be never David Beckham, but perhaps that my name will remain longer in the memories.”Posted from
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Abidal is totally lying about not having to carry the balls out at training, by the way. Just because he doesn’t have to do it…(often done by the most junior player, so we’ve been graced with the sight of Messi tugging along a bag bigger than him quite a few times).
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