Vilanova, Abidal reunion cheers Vilarrubi

Barcelona vice president Carles Vilarrubi has welcomed the return of Tito Vilanova and Eric Abidal after their battles with illness.

Abidal, who underwent a liver transplant in July 2012, joined up with the squad which played Celta Vigo away on Saturday for the first time since his operation, while head coach Vilanova will return to the dugout for the Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday following his cancer treatment in New York.

Vilarrubi is delighted to have the duo back, and believes their return could rejuvenate the atmosphere within the dressing room.

“The fact that Tito and Abidal are back, together, gives the party a special aura,” he told sport.es.

Vilarrubi added that he there could be a place for Abidal in the club’s coaching set-up in the future, highlighting the Frenchman’s “ability to cope, professional integrity and values”.

Barcelona face PSG in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday at Parc des Princes.