Abidal announces retirement ahead of potential Barca return

Eric Abidal has announced his retirement at the age of 35 and revealed that he could be on his way back to Barcelona in a coaching capacity.

The Frenchman, capped 67 times by his country, called time on his playing career on Friday and spoke about the possibility of working at Camp Nou again, having spent six years there as a player.

“I had an offer two years ago and this offer is still effective,” Abidal, who has made 14 appearances for Olympiacos this season, said. “But there is nothing else apart from that proposition.

“For now I want to rest and enjoy time with my family and then I will take some decisions as far as my future is concerned.”

Abidal enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at Barcelona, winning La Liga four times and the UEFA Champions League twice.

He also won three Ligue 1 titles at Lyon and was part of the France squad that finished runners-up at the 2006 World Cup.

In 2012 he underwent a liver transplant following the discovery of a tumour the previous year.