Eric Abidal played a crucial role in Frenkie de Jong’s transfer to FC Barcelona in 2019, while the Dutch midfielder was on the verge of signing with Paris Saint-Germain.
As the sporting director of Barcelona, Abidal managed to convince De Jong, whose dream was to play for the Catalan club, by explaining that it was the Barça institution that was signing him, not just the coach. Ultimately, De Jong chose to join FC Barcelona for €75 million.
« I knew he had an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain… His dream was to play for Barça. But he told me that he hadn’t had a discussion with the Barça coach. He mentioned that he had made his decision to come to PSG after a conversation with Tuchel. I told him that at Barça, it’s the institution that signs you, not the coach, » said Eric Abidal.