Abidal: "While i was sick, Barca didn't pay me"

http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2013/09/06/primera/1378461390_507790.html
http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Abidal-si-guardiola-avait-ete-la/398445

Abidal:

What was difficult for me to understand were the themes discussed during my last press conference (at Barca).  By saying that it was a professional decision, they put doubt in the minds of the other clubs (regarding Abidal's health and ability to play).  It was never a question of money for me.  The proof is that all the months i was sick, the club didn't pay me.  Today, i have the good fortune of having the trust of the manager and the president of Monaco.  Touch wood, everything is going well.  But it's true that there was a period where i was questioning things.

Classy Barca.  Very classy.

wow what a pathetic bunch they are

Arsenal pays diary 60k a week to play 2 games a season

Don't see how the entire club should be labelled pathetic or cheap. Clearly the current administration is at fault here. I don't think this would have happened in Laporta's time.

This is really shameful, but not a surprise knowing Rosell.

Yeah i blame Rosell tbh.  But someone has to say something.  He's taking the rep of the entire club down. The fans, the board of directors and the legends need to stand up... staying silent is just as bad to me.

Arsenal even paid Nicklas 52k a week to be a disgrace

Believe it or not, I almost threw up reading this.

How can legally happen?

KennethCole wrote:Believe it or not, I almost threw up reading this.

How can legally happen?

It's not legal. But he was very sick and chose not to fight... had bigger worries in his life. Didn't need the stress. Also, he likely didn't want to get into a war before he found a new club.

saving the money to pay nerman's father, disgusting

lol. Cruyff should have a showdown with that weasel Rosell

Mes que un club

current administration is a disgrace. This will further piss off barca fans

Real Madrid should build a statue of Rosell outside Bernabeu..

Disgrace from the rat a.k.a Rosell..

It's all in the contracts whether Barcelona have to pay in such circumstances or not. If they illegally refuse to pay, Abidal just has to put his agent + lawyer on it and problem will be solved without him getting stressed out about it. This thing smells fishy.

sportsczy wrote:Yeah i blame Rosell tbh.  But someone has to say something.  He's taking the rep of the entire club down.  The fans, the board of directors and the legends need to stand up... staying silent is just as bad to me.  

You post utter shit at the best of times, but suggesting that because other Barca figures who haven't rushed out immediately to comment on Rosell's actions is just as bad, is pathetic. Just pathetic.

In fact, you don't care about this issue at all. It's clearly just an opportunity to score cheap points, evident by your opening gambit.

Art Morte wrote:It's all in the contracts whether Barcelona have to pay in such circumstances or not. If they illegally refuse to pay, Abidal just has to put his agent + lawyer on it and problem will be solved without him getting stressed out about it. This thing smells fishy.

I think he is the kind of guy who values image over a public court fight between himself and the club. hence why he said its not because of the money

if this happened to Iniesta I dont think he would have taoen the issue further. they are just not that type of people

I thought he was recovering at a very nice spot up north of Spain? No idea he wasnt getting paid though... I actually thjought Barca paid for everything else for his treatment then at least?

Art Morte wrote:It's all in the contracts whether Barcelona have to pay in such circumstances or not. If they illegally refuse to pay, Abidal just has to put his agent + lawyer on it and problem will be solved without him getting stressed out about it. This thing smells fishy.

This

Feel for the guy but this kind of things should be sorted out before leaving the club. It should be black and white in the contracts.

Now that Rosell is pretty much at the bottom of shit scale, called all kind of craps; I kinda like the guy. Destroying the club or not, shady or not, Barca still winning trophies and running well and he's still their president. I don't see he will be leaving that position soon also.

halamadrid2 wrote:

Art Morte wrote:It's all in the contracts whether Barcelona have to pay in such circumstances or not. If they illegally refuse to pay, Abidal just has to put his agent + lawyer on it and problem will be solved without him getting stressed out about it. This thing smells fishy.

I think he is the kind of guy who values image over a public court fight between himself and the club. hence why he said its not because of the money

if this happened to Iniesta I dont think he would have taoen the issue further. they are just not that type of people

 
^This.

When he says it's not a question of money and the proof is he didn't get paid... it implies that he could have gone after Barca for money but chose not to.

It would have hurt his image and very likely hurt his chances with finding a new club.  He's just upset that Rosell stabbed him in the back AND didn't pay him.  Chose this moment to come out with it...

Off course he was paid, what a ridiculous statement from him. Let's wait before judging, because this must be an out of context from Abidal or bad translation. All Barça contracts are guaranted and if he wasn't paid he only should make a claim at the Courts and he would be paid.

No bad translation.  I linked the article in French...  the full interview.  He spoke in French so there was no translation.

Question: Il a malgré tout fallu convaincre Monaco que vous étiez en bonne santé…

Abidal: Ce qui a été difficile à comprendre, c’est le discours du Barça lors de ma dernière conférence de presse. En affirmant que c’était un choix professionnel, ça a mis le doute aux autres clubs. Ce n’était même pas une histoire d’argent. La preuve, c’est que tous les mois où j’étais malade, le club ne m’a pas payé. Aujourd’hui, j’ai la chance d’avoir la confiance de l’entraîneur et du président de Monaco. Je touche du bois, tout va bien. Mais c’est vrai que j’ai eu une période de doute.

Yes, it's true, no bad translation, but it might be a bad explanation from Abidal like maybe he was being paid from an insurance company, but it's impossible that he wasn't paid.

According to what I read on other forums, is that what Abidal meant is that while he was ill he didn't cost money to Barça because an insurance paid him, not that he didn't receive his wages.

Barça insist former defender Éric Abidal received agreed salary
Responding to Abidal's claims that he was not paid during his illness, Barça sources have insisted: "We have remained up-to-date with his salary at all times". [via as]

Link: http://as.com/diarioas/2013/09/06/english/1378469547_482234.html

It doesn't make any sense that a club like Barca would not pay their players. And anyone who is jumping on their throats for an out of context poorly explained quote should be ashamed of themselves.

Big football clubs like Barca have deals with insurance companies, and most of the time they lose little money if one of their players is sick or injured. And in the case of Abidal, the insurance companies had to pay both the medical bill and his salary, so Barca technically did not lose any money on him.

What I am about to say is conjuncture, but Abidal probably meant that he was not fearing on not being paid by Barca once his contract runs, because they were not technically the ones paying him and as such the insurance company will continue paying it even if the contract runs out. What he was worried about is whether he would be able to play or not in the future.

I really don't know, but there is no way in hell Barca did not pay the salaries due to him. It is impossible in the work laws of the club and country.

The full interview is linked in OP (L'Equipe link).... there is no editorial or "out of context" possible.  If was a very direct question with a very direct answer.

Either Abidal or Barca is lying.  Knowing Abidal, i doubt it's him...

@LS.  Remember at the beginning of last year or the year before where the players in La Liga went on strike?  The first game was pushed back.  The whole issue was that there was a rampant practice in La Liga of clubs not paying their players.  The players' union wanted something to be done. Not saying Barca were involved... but it's not as uncommon as you would think. Players rarely speak up until after they leave if at all.