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Eric Abidal will stay at "Barcelona" and sign a new contract. This was announced to Catalonia's television channel "Esport3" on Thursday by French agent David Venditelli representing the player's interests. The intention was to sign a new contract with the defender early in the spring, but negotiations were halted due to unexpected news about Abidal's illness - a tumor was found in the footballer's liver. The player was soon operated on and began the rehabilitation process. The Frenchman returned to the field earlier than doctors predicted, but at that time "Barcelona" was already awaiting crucial matches in the UEFA Champions League and the Spanish league, so there was simply not enough time to resume negotiations. "We spoke with the Barcelona executives a few days ago. We understand perfectly that Eric's illness and operation disrupted negotiations, but we will soon continue the talks. Everyone agrees that we needed to wait until Eric fully recovers. He wants to extend his contract," Venditelli relayed his client's wishes. The agent also confirmed the player's words that he would like to finish his professional career at "Barcelona": "That's Eric's will. He would like to stay here." Abidal's current contract with "Barcelona" expires next summer. If the Frenchman, as planned, signs a new contract, he should play at the Catalan club until June 30, 2014."
