Overview

• Abidal wrote that he is with his family, in good health, and asked for respect while rejecting the false reports.
• The claims spread quickly on X after posts referenced a supposed second transplant, with French outlets and sports accounts amplifying them.
• Major sports media shifted to corrective coverage after Abidal’s message, quoting his statement to debunk the rumour.
• Abidal’s past includes a liver tumour diagnosis in 2011, surgery and a 2012 transplant, followed by a 2013 return to professional football.
• The former Barcelona defender now serves as sporting director at Al Wasl in the United Arab Emirates after a previous stint in the same role at Barcelona.