Valdes had nothing to do with Abidal leaving Monaco
Eric Abidal abandoned Monaco this summer days after the French club announced they would not sign Victor Valdes because of the goalkeeper's injury. With the two acts happening so close together, it led to speculation that Abidal had departed because of the way Valdes had been treated.
However the former Barcelona defender dispelled those rumours on Wednesday during an interview with 'RAC1'; he also announced his retirement from international football.
"Leaving Monaco had nothing to do with Valdes," Abidal, who swapped Monaco for Olympiakos, explained.
"I left because the manager [Leonardo Jardim] called me and told me he did not count on me for the coming season.
"It had come out a few days before that I would sign a new one-year deal, but that was automatic because I had played more than 25 games during the previous season."
Abidal added that after six seasons with Barça, he still maintains good friendships with many of the players he played with. He stated his belief that Messi "is the best player in the world and he has demonstrated that for many years."
On Jeremy Mathieu, who some have compared to Abidal, the 34-year-old joked that he "doesn't talk much but is intelligent on the pitch", going onto add that he has confidence in his compatriot's ability to succeed at Camp Nou.
GOODBYE FRANCE
Finally, Abidal also made public his decision to stop representing France at international level.
"To not play in the World Cup was disappointing for me because I wanted to leave with a good taste in my mouth," he said.
"But for me now, my career with France has finished. I fought really hard so that I could say goodbye at the World Cup, but it was not to be, so now is a good moment to close the door."
