‘I only needed 10 minutes’… Eric Abidal recalls how he knew Barcelona midfield gem was unique | OneFootball

Former FC Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal is better remembered for his time as a player at the club than his stint in the backroom. Despite bringing in players like Frenkie de Jong and Pedri to the club, his time coincided with a very difficult phase for the club.

However, the former French footballer might have handled the role differently under a different presidency. He has recently been doing the talking, sharing anecdotes from his time at a club and talking about a number of players.

Speaking in the interview as quoted by SPORT, Eric Abidal revealed his reaction the first time that he saw Barcelona wonderkid Gavi play. Here is what he had to say: “I only needed 10 minutes to see his potential and realize that he was a player different from others his age.”

When Gavi broke through at Barcelona under Ronald Koeman, he arrived as a breath of fresh air. The La Masia graduate plays with unbridled passion on the football pitch and one can never fault him for giving anything less than 100% any time he plays.

Barcelona have sorely missed their star midfielder’s services since last November. The 20-year-old is closing in on a recovery to first-team football, participating in an intense training match as he builds his way back to full fitness.

Photo Credit: The Official Website of FC Barcelona

Gavi suffered an ACL injury on international duty with Spain, in an inconsequential game against Georgia. It came as a huge blow to Xavi who lost his best ball-winner in midfield, which had a bearing on the outcome of the season.

As Abidal says, it does not take more than 10 minutes to understand the potential and the ceiling that Gavi has. The Spanish midfielder is often misinterpreted. He might not have the technical finesse like for example, Pedri but what the 20-year-old brings to the table is special.

Barcelona cannot wait for the day they see Gavi playing again in a Barcelona jersey. There isn’t long left now and let’s wait and see how his recovery pans out.