By Andrew Warshaw
August 31 – Spanish prosecutors are reported to be re-opening proceedings into the bizarre and still seemingly murky case of the liver transplant undergone six years ago by former French international defender Eric Abidal, now sporting director at Barcelona.
Earlier this summer claims that embattled former Barcelona chief Sandro Rosell illegally bought the liver for Abidal were vehemently denied by the club and roundly condemned.
Police reportedly intercepted four phone calls from Rosell – currently in custody on totally unrelated charges of money laundering involving the sale of television rights for Brazil matches – which alleged he purchased the organ in 2012. Abidal underwent a transplant that year after a tumour was discovered but in July online newspaper El Confidencial reported that wiretaps from a probe into Rosell’s activities indicated Barcelona may have illegally procured Abidal’s transplant.
Abidal spoke of his “annoyance and sadness” regarding the claims and said his cousin Gerard Armand had donated his liver “to save my life”
But Spanish reports now claim prosecutors have observed indications of organ trafficking and false documents and that Armand will be interrogated and asked to undergo forensic analysis to prove he was the donor.
Spain’s National Transplant Organisation (ONT) said it had joined prosecutors in asking that the investigation be reopened, even if it conducted its own probe and concluded the 2012 transplant was lawful.
It said it called “for all aspects of Mr. Abidal’s transplant to be clarified once and for all.”
In an interview with French newspaper La Depeche du Midi in July, Armand, who lives in France, was adamant there had been nothing untoward. He said that he was approached by Abidal’s wife after the liver tumour was discovered in 2011.
“I didn’t think about it, it was a good, normal action that anyone would do to help a sick relative,” he said, denying he had received money from FC Barcelona.
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