Barça accused of buying a kidney for Eric Abidal

The former French international denied this information, as did his former club FC Barbelone, who was questioned.
  

According to the Spanish media El Confidencial former FC Barcelona side Eric Abidal would have benefited from "the illegal purchase of a liver" in 2012. At the time, the player is away from the land because of cancer and needs a liver transplant. When a donor is found, he is introduced by the club as a cousin named Gerard.

The Spanish media revealing the case is based on telephone tapping of Sandro Rosell, the former president of the Catalan club, carried out as part of a money laundering investigation in 2017 related to the transfer of Neymar . According to El Confidencial the Spanish authorities reportedly "intercepted at least four calls" in 2017, in which Sandro Rosell is heard to admit "implicitly having 'bought an illegal liver'".

After these revelations, FC Barcelona denied in a statement. "Following the information published today in connection with the transplant that benefited the current sports director of the team Eric Abidal, FC Barcelona categorically deny any irregularity," assured the club.

The Eric Abidal Foundation, in a communiqué relayed by Sport, categorically denied the information disseminated in some media about the irregularities in the treatment of his illness. The Abidal Foundation regrets that the integrity of all those involved in the process is called into question, and Eric Abidal gives them great admiration and gratitude, especially to the donor, his cousin Gerard ".

Investigation opened

Sandro Rosell's lawyers also communicated via Catalan radio RAC1. They say "do not know about these facts, or if they are true". They are also surprised that one can "think that you can buy a liver illegally and transplant it to a public hospital".

A Barcelona court said it had investigated a possible organ smuggling for one year before filing the case for lack of evidence. "No evidence, no clue, to support the accusation against anyone, has been found," said a spokeswoman of this body.

The Spanish Organization for Organ Donation (ONT), which reports to the Ministry of Health, also stated in a statement that according to the information available to it, "the donation and transplant process of Eric Abidal was in accordance with the legislation in force and the usual medical protocols ". She added, however, that she opened an investigation into her case after the article was published. The Clinic Hospital in Barcelona has also assured that it has complied with all the rules in force in this transplant.

Eric Abidal's cure for cancer had been admired by fans. Indeed, only a year after this one, he had made his return to the competition. The player, who retired as a player in 2014, has since kept close contact with the Catalan club of which he was appointed technical secretary in June 2018.