Barca’s Abidal Gets Liver Transplant

Barcelona defender, Eric Abidal underwent liver transplant Tuesday but as at the time of filling this report, Barcelona are yet to release details about the outcome of the surgery.

The France international received a standing ovation from Camp Nou faithful during the club’s La Liga match against Getafe.

The Catalan fans chanted Abidal’s name throughout the 22nd minute of the match in a tribute linked with the defender’s shirt number.

It is still unknown how long Abidal will be out for as a result of his new operation. In March 2011, he went under the knife to remove a liver tumor but recovered in time to feature in the club’s last six matches of the season, including the Champions League final against Manchester United.

The former Olympique Lyonnais defender, who signed for Barca in 2007, recently signed a new contract which will keep him at Camp Nou until 2013.

Meanwhile, Barcelona Coach, Josep Guardiola wanted to encourage the player, as he dedicated their victory over Getafe to the Frenchman. “We’re very pleased to be able to dedicate this victory to Abidal and his cousin Gerard. It’s a special day because we knew that he was in surgery.”

On the match, the manager is pleased with the performance of his players against a team that came to the Camp Nou to defend the initial scoreline: “we’re very pleased because it’s never easy [to play against] such a defensive team. We found our patience, and we scored fairly early, we created goal scoring chances… we controlled the match.” He added that “it’s very difficult to attack a team that defends with nine players.”