Abidal Follows Setien Out Of Barcelona Exit Door

Abidal follows Quique Setien out of the exit door at the Camp Nou after the former Real Betis manager was dismissed on Monday.

Barcelona are undergoing a restructuring process as they try to remedy the wrongs of a disastrous 2019/2020 campaign, during which they failed to win a single trophy.

Last week’s 8-2 humiliation at the hands of German champions Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League has proven to be the straw that has broken the camel’s back, and Setien and Abidal have paid the price with their jobs.

A statement on Barca's official website reads: “FC Barcelona and Eric Abidal have reached an agreement for the termination of the contract binding both parties.

“The club publicly expresses its gratitude to Eric Abidal for the professionalism, commitment, dedication and positive and close treatment towards all the areas that make up the Barca family, and wishes him luck and success in the future.”

Abidal, who represented Barcelona for six years as a player and won four La Liga titles, two Champions League trophies among numerous other honours, was appointed as sporting director in the summer of 2018.

Club captain Lionel Messi criticised Abidal back in February after the former France international suggested the club’s players downed tools under the previous manager Ernesto Valverde.

Barcelona have scheduled club elections for March next year to elect a new president.

Netherlands manager and former Barcelona defender Ronald Koeman has been identified as the man to lead Barcelona into the 2020/2021 season, although another club legend, Xavi Hernandez, currently in charge of Qatari side Al-Sadd, remains the club’s first option for the long term.